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ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 



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HARD-BOOK 



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Copyright, 1887 
Published by the 

^DecoratiYe Design & Solor Sompai? 

204 Washington Boul'd., CHICAGO. 




This book is intended for use in connection with our Patented Com- 
bination Designs, Stencils and Prepared Colors, and is given free to our 
patrons with each set of designs. 



INDEX. 

PAGE. 

How to Clean Old Walls 4 

Preparing Walls and Ceilings for Frescoing in Water Colors 5 

Cleaning Water Color Fresco Work 7 

Sizing Walls for Frescoing in Water Color? 9 

Alum Size 11 

Tinting in Plain Colors 11 

Frescoing in Water Colors 17 

Combinations for Parlors, Chambers, etc 25 

Spacing and Stenciling 33 

Frescoing by the Old and New Methods 39 

Wall Painting in Oil and Flat Colors 40 

Painting on Damp Walls 42 

Stippling 42 

Stippling Wood-Work 44 

Rough Stipple on Walls and Ceilings 44 

Rough Stippling and Combing 45 

Working the Comb on a frieze , 16 

Combing, etc., on Walls 47 

Stamping and Raised Stenciling 48 

Painting over Rough-Stnff 49 

Combing and Rough Stippling in Water Color 49 

Colors Contained in the Different Designs 50 

Light Contrast for Parti-Color Painting 53 



3*/<ks 



•HLTWOOD & NKHOLS'-*- 

»EAKD-BOOE* 



•OF- 



PraGtiGal suggestions in House Painting and Decorating, 



jO those who are not entirely proficient in the art of Fresco work, 
as applied to interior walls and ceilings, we offer in as plain a way 
as possible, all the information needed to carry out a job of paint- 
ing and decorating by the use of our patented system of Combina- 
tion Designs, Stencils and Colors. We shall endeavor, also, as far as 
we can in words, to give the best methods of practice we know of for 
painting wood work and plaster surfaces in oil or flat-colors, together 
with some practical remarks on painting in general, which, if fully 
understood will be of service to the painter. The methods of produc- 
ing the effects treated of in this book, are for the use of painters who 
know less about the business than Ave do. To those who need no 
instruction, we do not address ourselves, as they are competent to make 
a proper use of the knowledge and skill that study and experience has 
given them. To the master painter, however, who has never reached 
higher than plain work through years of business, we will make some 
explanation as to our reasons for believing in this new system ; and call 
attention to the completeness with which it fills a long felt want. We 
know well, that every master in plaip work whose business brings him 
into the residences of his wealthiest townsmen, often feels a mighty 
desire to do something in the way of decoration, but can't do it to save 
his life, for he never learned how. It is, to say the least, humiliating 



2 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

to a man to have some other fellow come along and " scoop" him out of 
a fine job on account of the "other fellow" being able to do a little 
frescoing. A painter who has done work for certain people until they 
have become his regular customers, don't like to lose them because of 
his not being able to do fine coloring or to enrich the house with painted 
ornament. Papering, plain painting and common calcimining does 
not fill the bill at all in the better class of houses. Original arrange- 
ments of color and ornamental forms, harmonious blending of parts, and 
the division of wall and ceiling surfaces into decorative borders, centre- 
pieces, friezes, etc., is what a "boss" painter should have within his 
reach if he expects, in these days, to keep his better customers. We 
think we have placed all this right where you can see it, also, where 
you can easily reach it, and we have no doubt at all about your being 
able to make a profitable use of it. 

There has been, as is well known among painters, a vast number of 
works published of late years on the subject of decoration, and some of 
them are instructive to an eminent degree. Although they are all 
full of merit in some direction, they are of little or no benefit to a 
painter who is not educated up to their standard. They are generally so 
rich in color, or so profuse and elaborate in ornamental detail, that they 
entirely over-reach the kind of work wanted in ordinary business, and 
are, therefore, to most men practically useless. To the designer of 
decoration, however, these publications are of more or less value, as he 
finds in them an interchange of ideas from other artists which gives 
him many good suggestions and aids him in his own work. None but 
a decorator of skill and taste can make use of such works, as it is almost 
an impossibility to find a full design among them which is harmonious 
in forms and colors with the style, shape and general furnishing of any 
parlor, hall, dining-room, or other apartments we may have contracted 
to fresco. So, then, it will be seen that in order to use those that are 
suitable to our work, among the designs heretofore published, we must 
be somewhat more practical in this particular business than most of our 
"boss" painters are likely to be. Such works as the "Grammar of 
Ornament," by Owen Jones ; the " Polychrome," of Racinet ; the masterly 
"Architectural Interiors," by Caesar Daly; the graceful drawings of 
Leinard ; and the thousand other luminous examples of decorative art, 
reaching back through a hundred ages, are like the stars of heaven to 
many ot us — beautiful to look upon but too lofty to make use of. There 
is in these splendid plates a whole world of genius, but they are con- 
fusing to a man who is inexperienced in design and who tries to do an 
ordinary job with these masterpieces for example. Beyond enlarging 
the drawing there is the most difficult job of mixing and harmonizing 
the colors, of which there are often a dozen or more shades in a single 
ornament; so you see a man must be somewhat of an artist to do such 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 3 

things eveiw time with success, and when you find such a man he will 
have ability enough to be above servile copying and be able to produce 
creditable designs of his own. 

Following the above remarks, it will naturally be asked. "What 
do you propose to supply in place of all these designs that will be more 
useful to a painter of ordinary capacity ? " We will answer by saying, 
that the system of Atwood & Nichols' simplifies the business of decorat- 
ing walls and ceilings to the extent, that a man who knows very little or 
nothing about frescoing can do a creditable job by the use of our designs, 
stencils and colors. We do not intend to convey the idea that by the 
use of our method a common journeyman will become a magnificent 
artist, but we do claim that not one job in fifty will call for a more elabo- 
rate treatment than is shown in our first edition. 

It will be seen, therefore, that an ordinarily good workman can, by 
the use of our system, do a pretty rich job wherever it is wanted. 
Again, the almost endless variety that is represented by interchanging 
from the most ornamental down to the plainest of our combinations, and 
supported by the stencils for every form, and the practical ready-mixed 
colors for every shade in them, will give a most satisfactory answer to 
the question, " What do you propose to supply in place of all the works 
on decoration heretofore published, that will be more useful to us?" 
It lifts a great weight off of a "boss" when he knows that his men will 
make the job of frescoing, that he has contracted to do, come out exactly 
like the design his customer has selected, and that, too, in the greatest of 
all essentials, the matching of the colors. We believe you will think 
as we do, in regard to this system of ours, after you have once used it, 
that we offer a more useful and profitable thing to the trade than has 
ever been given by all the elaborate and costly books on decoration that 
have ever been published. Employed in conjunction with papering, 
these designs and colors will be found eminently useful, as combinations 
of paper and fresco are extensively made use of and are often produc- 
tive of the most pleasing effects. 

It is our intention to supply the trade from time to time with a 
series of richer designs and colors, embodying as far as is practical, for 
application to the various peculiarities of our every day architecture, all 
the essential features of the Egyptian, Greek, Gothic and Renaissance 
styles, together with the Indian, Japanese, Moresque, and other oriental 
forms of decoration, simplified to a practical basis — not merely to look 
at, but to use in business. We also iutend to issue a special set of 
designs, interchangeable like all the others, for churches and other 
interiors where none but Mediaeval and ecclesiastical forms of decoration 
are admissable. 

ATWOOD & NICHOLS. 

204 Washington Boulevard, Chicago, III, 



4: ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

HOW TO CLEAN OLD WALLS. 



If a flat-painted wall, ceiling, or other plaster surface is dirty and 
you want to clean it so it will look bright and new again, you will find 
the following process a good one : 

First, wash off the work with sponge and water. Next, make a 
suds with ordinary soap and luke-warm water. Then wet the surface 
to be washed with the soap-suds, using a calcimine brush, for the wet- 
ting, as you would for sizing. Take a stretch of four or five feet wide 
up and down the wall the same as you would in painting ; only in this 
case you should wet the wall from the bottom upward so as to prevent 
runs which are likely to show lighter than the rest of the wall, even after 
it is washed. The cause of the runs showing light where streams of 
soap-suds have run down, is from the fact that the soapy water partially 
takes off the dirt and eats into the paint just enough to appear in light 
streaks when the surface has be^n all washed clean and dried out. 
After you have wet your stretch thoroughly with the soap-suds, scrub 
the surface lightly with bristle scrubbing brushes and sapolio, or other 
fine pumice stone soap ; if you can't get the sapolio or the soap men- 
tioned, you can put some finely powdered pumice stone into your soap- 
suds which will answer very well. The kind of scrubbing brushes 
which printers use to clean their type with is the best for this purpose. 
Be careful to scrub evenly, not harder in one place than in another, and 
your work will come out all right. After you have got the dirt all out 
of the paint, wash off the stretch with clean water and sponges, and dry 
off the water with chamois skin (or wash-leather, as it is often called), 
and proceed in the same manner with the next stretch and so on until the 
wall is done. If the ceiling is painted and must be washed also, leave 
it until the wall is completed, as you are otherwise likely to get some 
spatters of soap-suds on the dirty wall which will show in light spots at 
the finish ; for the same reason that the runs will, as we have described. 
If there is a cornice, centre-piece, or other raised ornamentation to be 
washed, do it also after you have done the walls. You will see the 
necessity of being careful not to spatter your cleanly washed wall, of 
course, but if you do to a small extent, the spatters can be wiped off with 
a wet sponge or chamois, and leave no spot. If you don't happen to 
have wash-leather to finish your cleaning with, take a " crash towel " as 
the next best thing. This method of cleaning walls, and ceilings 
which have been painted in oil or flat-colors, has always been a favorite 
one with us as against all others we have ever tried, and in many 
instances we have brought out, by its use, both plain and richly decor- 
ated oil painted surfaces, to look as bright as when they were first done, 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 5 

and that, too, after they had stood ten years or more in the smoky city of 
Chicago. Any shorter process than the one we have given is likely to 
result in a streaky or spotty job, which of course, is not first-class. 
There are other ways than this to wash finely painted walls, we know, 
but this way has been good enough for us in cases of the most exacting 
kind, and we therefore recommend it as being the best method we have 
ever seen tried. "When it is remembered that it is a difficult matter to 
clean a flat-painted wall in a first-class manner, and that it is not always 
successfully done, we will be excused by those who have tried it, for 
giving so much attention to a seemingly unimportant subject. 



Preparing Walls and Ceilings for Frescoing in 
Water Colors. 



If the surfaces you are going to do over are dirty, or have any stuff 
on them that ought to come off, it is better to wash them clean with 
sponge and water and not size over the old color and dirt. Then cut 
out all blisters, pops, broken places and cracks with a trowel, putty knife* 
or some such tool, and after wetting the cut out places thoroughly with 
clear water, fill them up solid wiih clear plaster Paris, mixed to a putty 
with water, and smooth off the stopped places with a wet brush. A 
ten-penny nail driven through the end of a stick will be found extreme^ 
useful in cutting out cracks. Cut out even the finest ones a quarter of 
an inch wide, so there will be a channel large enough to hold a good 
quantity of plaster ; then it will stay in there and the cracks will not be 
likely to show after your work is all finished. Use none but New 
Yor~k stucco for stopping small places of this kind. Any painter who 
has had trouble with Michigan and other hot kinds of plaster Paris, will 
know enough to use New York plaster for this purpose, but to those who 
don't know what the difference is, we will say, that the New York will 
work nice and cool and will not burn through your water color or calci- 
mine, whereas the other kinds are likely to and therefore be the means 
of spoiling you work. Any tint of water color in which green is 
mixed, is especially sure to be burnt out into a faded looking yellow 
when laid over places that have been stopped up with Michigan plaster. 
Other colors, containing ultramarine blue, for instance, will be likely to 
burn out red, and so on to an extent that condemns any hot, limy, 
plaster like that spoken of. Plasterers' putty, however, may be used 
for stopping under water color work, but it should be shellaced, painted 
or varnished to kill its burning out propensities after it is well dried, 



6 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

and before you put any work over it. If you are going to do a job of 
frescoing in water colors, and you are in doubt as to whether (he mended 
cracks and broken places will show through your finished work or not, 
give them all a coat of shellac, and when the shellac is dry, wash them over 
with a sponge or brush wet in the color you are going to put on first, or 
with any other sized tint, and you need have no fear of the mended places 
showing when the job is done. If you want a nice job you will have 
to see that the stopping or mending is solidly and smoothly done, as a 
good deal of the result depends on the manner in which you do your 
preparatory work. Ordinary calcimining will not of course require so 
much care in the stopping up. If you want good, solid looking 
grounds for your fresco work, or your plain work either, put your color 
on cold ; not boiling hot nor yet very warm, as warm color is thin and 
watery and will not cover. Have your color chilled so that it will be 
like jelly, and you will stand a great deal better chance of getting a clean 
solid ground, which is what you ought to start in for every time. We 
mention this chilled color item for the benefit of any one who is in the 
habit of trying to do good work with warm or hot water color. It is 
not always necessary to use chilled color, however, a good job is easily 
done with new mixed color in which the glue is still warm enough to 
keep the color about the thickness of cream, but your ground must have 
little or no suction to work well so that your color will dry out even and 
show no laps. An old wall or ceiling that has been done in water 
color before, and which you have just washed off clean and mended up, 
will generally work well in the doing over and will not always require siz- 
ing ; but be sure to sponge over all the spots and streaks of new plaster, 
where you have stopped up, with some of the color you are going to lay 
in the ground with, as it will kill the suction in these new places and 
will not let them show through lighter when your ground is done. If 
you have used New York plaster in the stopping, the sponging will be 
sufficient to kill the suction, but if you are stopping up with any other 
kind of plaster, a coat of shellac, varnish or paint will be required, and 
also the sponging with color. Of course, whatever you do the new 
plastered place over with, must be allowed to dry before laying the 
whole surface in. 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 

Cleaning Water Color Fresco Work. 



This work is usually done with rye-bread, or " Schwartz brod " as 
the Germans call it, and is, doubtless, the best method known to the 
trade for taking the dirt and smoke off of fresco work. Fresh-baked 
bread is what we have always used for this purpose, though some 
painters prefer to work with stale bread, or that which has been baked 
long enough to be more or less dried up. There is no economy in using 
dried-up bread, however, as will be seen further on. The larger the 
loaf you can get the better it will be for you, as the crust (which by the 
way is always waste) is no thicker on a large loaf than it is on a small 
one. The pulp or soft part is all you can use in the cleaning. Make 
it up into a ball about as big as your fist, and rub it on the work to be 
cleaned somewhat the same as you would India rubber in cleaning pencil 
marks off of paper, only, don't rub back and forth with the bread-ball as 
you would with the pencil eraser, but turn the ball over at every sweep 
you make. In this way you get a new place on the ball for every rub, 
which is not so likely to leave dirty streaks in your cleaning. The 
bread-ball, being soft and moist, retains the dirt from the surface you are 
cleaning and will not let it go back on the work again, that is, if you are 
careful to knead it over and over in your hands while you are working 
with it. No one can tell you how long to use a ball of bread in clean- 
ing off smoke and dirt, because the length of time it will last depends 
considerably upon your skill and experience in using it, as well as upon 
the amount of dirt, etc., there may be on the work. Any one can tell 
when it is time to get a new ball, as the first will get so black in a short 
time that it will not take off any more dirt, and, besides, it will wear 
away so small that a fresh one will be needed. It will be seen by this 
that the new baked or moist bread is better suited to the work than the 
dry or stale bread — inasmuch as the dry bread is more or less wasted 
by separating into crumbs and falling on the floor, and also by not being 
able to absorb or stick to the dirt as well as the fresh baked sponge will. 
The latter is just about damp enough to retain the blackness you rub 
into it, and still not wet enough to affect any of the colors in your fresco 
work. An ordinary size loaf of this rye-bread, or as before mentioned, 
"schwartz brod" (we want to be particular about getting the right 
kind, if possible), will clean, if handled rightly and not wasted, from 
fifteen to thirty square feet of surface or even more than that, according 
to the amount of dirt and smoke there may be on the work. A little 
practice with a bread-ball in cleaning will teach you better, than we can 
in words, how to clean water color frescoing. You will soon learn 
how to use it to the best advantage and not leave dirty streaks in your 



8 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

cleaning. Fresco work that has been done properly in the first place, 
that is, with good material, and in which a proper amount of glue size 
has been used, ought to stand cleaning, at least, twice ; that is to say in 
one or two years after it was first done, and. the second time a year or so 
after that. We have cleaned up our own water color frescoing, in one 
particular building in Chicago, for instance, over and over again for five 
successive years, and it did not look much the worse for wear either. 
The work we allude to was done more than nine years ago, and that part 
of the original work which still remains, has been "breaded off" by 
others, we believe, twice more, making seven different cleanings, and it 
looks as if it might stand another turn at the bread-ball yet. We mention 
this fact to show that water color frescoing when properly done will last 
a long time, and, moreover, that it is not spoiled by being smoked up a 
little. The building we speak of is a very smoky one, and the walls 
and ceilings would get so dirty in a year's time, that one sweep of a 
bread-ball over them would leave a streak like a ray of sunlight in com- 
parison to the rest of the blackened surface. All the plain parts, such 
as panels, larger than two feet square, are nearly always washed off and 
put in new, as large, plain, or unornarnented grounds, are likely to be 
streaky if they are breaded, and so the cheapest and best way is to wash 
off all such grounds and do them new. 

If your ornamentation reaches out into the plain ground that you 
are going to wash off and do over new, you can leave a little space of the 
ground color along or around the ornamental work which will be cleaned 
with the rest, and after you have laid in your large, plain ground again, 
you can go around the edge where the old and new color joins, with a 
small line, in either gold, bronze, or some soft neutral color, a shade 
darker or lighter than your new ground color, which will complete the 
job all right. If you think a little change in the ornaments such as 
brightening up some of the colors would improve the whole, or either 
the addition of a new feature or two in certain places would make the 
decoration look better, it can be done very easily after the work is 
cleaned up and the new grounds laid in. Fresco work can, in this 
way, be renewed to look nearly or quite as well as it did when it was 
first done. Wall paper may be cleaned with bread in the same way, 
and as it is in most cases full of ornamental detail and variety of color, 
it will clean very nicely, and the little imperfections or streaks you are 
likely to leave in the cleaning, will not show enough to have any effect 
among the various forms and colors in the paper ; nor for that matter in 
fresco work either. We have used ordinary baker's or home-made 
bread for cleaning in places where we could not get the rye-bread, and 
did very well with it too, but we would advise the use of the rye-bread 
if you can get it. It is generally to be had at the bake shops in any 
of our large towns and cities. When we have had use for a large 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 9 

number of loaves, we have usually ordered them of the baker a day or 
two in advance, which is a better way than trusting to luck to find the 
quantity you want at the last moment. Of course, when a job has got 
to be done in a hurry and no time is left you for preparation, you have 
got to take what you can find the handiest, and as bread is not an article 
you can keep in stock, it is a good plan to stand the job oif a day or so if 
you possibly can, so you can get ready for it by having some bread 
baked. "Rush jobs," though are common in every trade, but we 
think the painters get more than their share. This might be well 
enough if the profit was equal to the excitement, but we have seldom 
found it to be — on the contrary it is likely to result in expense rather 
than profit, especially when the work has got to be done nights and 
Sundays, and you have got to take it by contract against competition. 
When it is remembered that nine out of ten of these " rush jobs n are in 
dry goods stores, furniture houses, manufactories and the like, where 
there are thousands of obstacles in the way and which have got to be 
moved and put back again (by your workmen in most cases), the prospect 
for making anything out of such work is rather dim, to say the best of it. 
Unless you can get a good price for the work, that shall be equal to the 
draw-backs you will have to contend with, there is scarcely encourage- 
ment enough to warrant hunting it up or figuring for it in competition 
with others. 



Sizing Walls for Frescoing in Water Colors. 



"Walls, ceilings, cornices, etc., that are to be decorated in water colors 
are generally given a coat of size after the broken places are stopped up 
and before the colors are laid in. We have done a good many jobs too, 
by using a thin coat of our finishing color, glued or sized up a little 
stronger and put on as a priming, or we may say, as a sizing before the 
ground colors are put on. Some decorators use this method of sizing 
wherever possible, but as it will not answer for every case, it will be of 
advantage to use something that is equal to every occasion where the 
suction of plaster must be thoroughly stopped before we can work on it 
with water colors. The cheapest and commonest kind of furniture 
varnish, thinned with turpentine or benzine, is perhaps the best thing 
for the purpose. The rosins and gums of which it is made do the bus- 
iness very well, and you will find nothing better or more reliable. Do 
not have your varnish heavy enough to dry out with a bright gloss all 
over, because water color is likely to rub up on it when worked over in 
the frescoing — about two quarts of varnish to a gallon of turpentine or 



10 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

benzine, will be heavy enough for general use. For killing water 
stains in plaster it is good ; only the varnish must be somewhat heavier 
for stains than for general sizing. Hard oil finish is used for sizing in 
the same way, but as it costs more than the varnish, and is not any 
better, it is less to be desired. A coat of oil paint, or any old color you 
happen to have, when thinned a little with turpentine, will answer for 
sizing under fresco work ; also, for killing stains when the stained plas- 
tering is thoroughly dry. Any kind of material that will stop the 
suction in plaster so that water color will work nice and cool over it, is 
all that is wanted for sizing purposes. We have seen ordinary glue 
size used for the purpose, but as it is not entirely reliable on account of 
its being likely to peel or flake off the color that is laid over it, it is 
seldom made use of by the more experienced painters. There is 
another kind of size which used to be extensively employed in fresco 
work. We refer to the old-fashioned alum size which is, perhaps, the 
best water size known for water color frescoing, and as some of our 
friends might have use for it, we give the proportions of material and 
process of making it as used in our own practice some time ago. We 
seldom find any use for the stuff now, however, as varnish and turpen- 
tine, or some similar resinous substance thinned with turpentine or 
benzine, is far superior for sizing on ordinary plaster. Very rough 
plaster seldom requires sizing with anything more than a coat of water 
color as a primer, before laying in the finishing colors. A coat of 
strong alum water (about a pound of alum to a gallon of water) will be 
found to work very well, especially on damp plaster, as the alum forms 
a hard, glassy surface and keeps moisture from coming through. Alum 
water is, of course, transparent and colorless, so it should be tinted with 
a little umber or other earth color in order that the person using it will 
see what he is doing and leave no " holidays." Another size for rough 
plaster is silicate of soda or water glass, thinned with water and applied 
like the alum. Japan dryer and turpentine, about half and half, is also 
a good size under water color, and is good to paint over in oil color when 
used on hand-finish or ordinary sand-finish plastering. Any dead- 
looking spots or streaks in the varnish size or japan size, after the same 
is dry, should be gone over with white shellac before laying on your 
finishing color; we refer to water color (not oil) when recommending 
shellac. We might give several other kinds of size, but with those 
we have mentioned and the following, there ought to be enough for 
ordinary business uses. 



PRACTICAL, HAND-BOOK. 11 

ALUM SIZE. 



This size is. generally considered the true size for fresco work, that is, 
by those who know of nothing better. Four pounds of alum (powder- 
ed or lump), two pounds of soap, one pound of glue, or in the same pro- 
portion for a greater or less quantity. Ordinary washing soap is the 
kind used. Cut up the soap into small pieces or thin slices, and dis- 
solve it in a gallon and a half of boiling water. Put the pound of 
dry glue into a gallon of cold water, and after letting it soak about one- 
hour, heat it to the boiling point ; or, boil it a few minutes which makes 
it better. Cooper s I-X (one cross) glue is the best, or you can take 
the ordinary glue which you are using in calcimine if you have not got 
Cooper's I-X. Dissolve the alum in a gallon and a half of hot water. 
When all are melted, mix the soap and glue together; stir them up well 
and add a gallon of cold water. Add a gallon of cold water, also, to 
the alum solution. Pour the alum water into the soap and glue and 
stir them up. The mixture will have the appearance of skim-milk 
and is ready for use at once. The quantities given will make about 
six and one-half gallons of good, strong size. Before pouring the 
whole together, it is better to mix a small quantity first, say a pint or so, 
to see if the alum is too strong, and if it curdles the soap or glue, add 
more water to the alum and try it again. If it mixes nicely and does 
not curdle, it is all right and you can mix the whole lot. This size 
will keep for three months if put in a cool place. This is about the 
right strength for sizing new plaster. Old plaster requires the size to 
be stronger in alum and about half the strength in soap and glue that is 
shown in the quantities given. This size is somewhat troublesome to 
make as will be seen, and is not much better, if any, than a priming coat 
of thin, well-glued calcimine to work a large body of water color over, 
so you will suffer no great loss if you never use any of it. 



Tinting in Plain Colors. 



Proceeding in the regular order of practice, we will follow the fore- 
going article, on sizing, by some suggestions on tinting in plain colors. 

Assuming that we have taken a contract to do a nice job of plain 
coloring, or plain frescoing if you like, and have sized in all the plastered 
surfaces of our room, which let us say is a parlor in an ordinary resi- 
dence (such a one as would be likely to have fresco work done in it), a 



12 AT WOOD & NICHOLS' 

room having a cornice with cove and mouldings, and a plaster centre 
piece on the ceiling. We will go on in the usual manner by mixing the 
colors for the work, using the raw material, or we may say the whiting 
and dry colors. We will suppose that the furnishing of this room is 
somewhat rich in color, that is to say, the carpet, draperies or curtains, 
and also the chair coverings or upholstery are full of warm colors, such 
as golden yellows, olive colors and dull reds, contrasted with warm 
grays and umber colors, and there are, we will say, a few odd pieces of 
furniture having large surfaces of bright blue-green or crimson in them, 
which tend to enliven the general feeling of color in the room, we will 
then have a chance to use some rich, warm coloring on our walls and 
ceilings, so that the room will have a bright and cheerful effect when 
finished ; as the colors in the furnishings always suggests the tints most 
complimentary for painting the surrrounding surfaces of walls and 
ceiling. We will see what the predominating or most striking color is. 
We will call it yellow, Indian yellow, which is approximate to a mixture 
of golden ochre and Dutch pink. The nexc most prominent color is 
the dull red, a color made of Venetian red and golden ochre, softened 
with a tint of blue. The olive colors come next, and after them in 
effect, the gray and umber tints, or we may say, brown colors. With 
these effects in mind, we will make up our shades for the job of tinting. 
As the most of the carpet, etc., is yellow, we will have the body of the 
ceiling a warm greenish-gray. We will make it of Dutch pink, raw 
umber and cobalt blue mixed, of course, in whiting. Rich harmonious 
tints may be made for this ceiling of other combinations than the above, 
for instance, either of the following will be in order : Raw umber and 
orange chrome ; vandyke brown and yellow ochre, with a little light 
chrome green ; chrome yellow, raw sienna and cobalt blue ; Dutch pink> 
burnt sienna and chrome green. We would mention here for the 
information of any who may never have used Dutch pink, that it is not 
red, but a soft, greenish-yellow, and is used largely in frescoing and scene 
painting. It works very nicely, and is especially valuable for making 
olive and golden tints that are to be seen by gas or lamp-light, as it does 
not lose its color like the chrome yellows do under artificial or orange 
light. 

Having selected the color for the ceiling of our room, which will be 
a greenish-gray, or we may say a warm gray-olive, we will set off a 
broad band or stile on the ceiling, by marking out about 18 inches from 
the cornice, and snapping a chalk or charcoal line all round the ceiling ; 
this gives us a panel and stile, which will look better than if the ceiling 
was all one color. After adding the proper quantity of glue-size 
needed to our ceiling or panel color, and having strained it through 
something like a fine wire strainer, or a piece of cheese cloth, we are 
ready to "lay in " the ceiling panel. After this is done, take enough of 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 13 

the panel color, to do the stile, and add burnt sienna and raw umber 
enough to make it a good shade darker, and when this is ready, " lay in " 
the stile. We will then have a ceiling panel similar in color to the 
ground in the centre square of our ceiling No. 10, and a stile like the 
brown line-color shown in the same place, only a little lighter and not 
quite so red. It will be understood, of course, that the ground colors 
on a ceiling must be lighter than those on the walls, as any color, when 
laid on the ceiling of almost any room, will be a good shade darker in 
appearance than if the same color was put on the wall. This is owing 
to the fact, that the ceiling receives less light than the wall, so we must, 
in every case, have our wall colors darker than those on the ceiling, and, 
for that matter, somewhat richer or warmer in color so as to make the 
ceiling appear cooler in tone, or as we may say, a shade grayer. It is 
a matter of importance to give an appearance of height to the ceiling, 
and this is done where only plain tints are employed, by keeping the 
ceiling colors considerably lighter, a shade or two cooler in tone than the 
colors on the walls, whether they are painted, papered or draped. These 
things will be more fully considered in our article on " Relative Con- 
trasts and Color Effects " in another part of this work. Assuming, now, 
that we have " laid in " both the stile and panel of our ceiling, we will 
consider the cove and mouldings of the cornice. The cove color should 
be the darkest of all the ground colors and also the richest in tint, as the 
cove stands, with its mouldings, as a frame for the ceiling after the man- 
ner of the frame on a picture. "We will take for our cove color a com- 
bination of Dutch pink and raw sienna; three-fourths Dutch pink, one- 
fourth raw sienna, without whiting ; strain this, and when ready lay on 
the color. Next, we will make a tint for the top moulding of the cor- 
nice, by adding a little cobalt blue to some of the panel color of the 
ceiling ; just enough to make a warm gray of it and have it a good shade 
lighter than the stile. If this moulding is large enough to allow of 
two colors being used on it, say three or four inches wide, and is divided 
into two or more different members, as cornice mouldings usually are, 
we will make a mixture of the top moulding and cove colors, about half 
and half, and do in that part of the moulding nearest the cove with it. 
Put the same color on the lower moulding next to the cove color, and for 
the lower half of this moulding, use the stile color of the ceiling without 
changing. This arrangement gives us a golden-brown cove, with 
mouldings blended outward to a light warm gray at the top, and to a 
light red-brown at the bottom or lower member nearest the wall. The 
next color we make will be for a wide band or frieze under the cornice at 
the top of the wall. "We will mark off 18 inches as the width of this 
frieze, measuring from the cornice down on the wall, and snap a chalk 
line all round the room as a guide to " lay in " the frieze by. The color 
for this band we will make a warm gray, by mixing the ceiling panel 



14 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

color and cove color, about half and half, and adding cobalt blue enough 
to make it a good shade darker than it would appear without the blue. 
" Lay in " the frieze with this gray when ready, and proceed with the 
mixing of a color for the walls. We will make the wall color of 
Dutch pink and raw umber, with whiting, adding a little orange chrome 
yellow to make it a shade richer. This color should be about as dark 
as the stile color on the ceiling. "When the wall is " done in," we will 
lay off a band or border at the bottom next to the mop-board or sur-base, 
about 10 inches wide, and "lay it in" with the cove color. We will 
now suppose that all the ground colors and mouldings, except the centre 
piece, are " laid in " with their several colors. To finish the centre 
piece, which we will assume to be an ornamental or modelled rosette in 
plaster of Paris, we take the cove color for the centre back-ground, if 
there is a division of grounds in it, and " pick it in " with the cove color. 
The colors which adjoin this, either for moulding or leaf ornaments, must 
be the same color as the mouldings of the cornice which lie on each side 
of the cove. The next tint, if there are parts enough to allow of it ? 
will be the gray or lightest moulding color ; finishing the whole with the 
ceiling panel color on the outer ornaments or moulded parts, and also on 
the leaves or other figures which stand out the highest. Always treat 
centre pieces of this kind with the colors of the ceiling and cornice, using 
the darkest tints in the centre and coming out lighter until the outer fig- 
ures are as light, or which is better, a shade lighter than the ground of 
the ceiling adjoining the centre-piece. 

Assuming, now, that we have covered all the plastered surfaces in 
the parlor with the proper colors in the several divisions as explained, 
we will proceed to finish up the work by drawing in some lines or strips, 
if you like, where the different ground colors come together. First 
we will snap off all of our lines on both ceiling and walls. Where the 
ceiling panel and stile colors come together, we will mark off by measur- 
ing outward from the cornice with a stick or something similar, the posi- 
tion of a line 1% inches wide, that will be lapped over both colors to 
cover the joint, also the same width of line, about 1% inches from the 
cornice moulding, on the stile. Inside of these two wide lines, and on 
the stile also, we mark for two other lines, each one-half inch wide and 
each three-fourths of an inch from the wide line nearest to it. Next, 
go out into the panel of the ceiling and mark off a three-fourths of an 
inch line about the same distance (% in.) from the wide line which covers 
the joint where the panel and stile colors come together. The color for 
this last line will be the gray of the wall frieze. The two wide lines 
will look well if they are drawn in with the cove color and outlined or 
edged, on both sides, with a dull blue color dark enough to show well. 
The two one-half inch lines on the stile, may be done with a rich, bright 
color, such as light English vermillion, softened a little with Dutch pink. 



PEACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 15 

This completes the ceiling. The next thing is to put the lines on the 
wall. The frieze will be marked off" with exactly the same lines, as to 
width and position, that we put upon the ceiling; two \% i ncn Hues 
(on the frieze) and one three-fourths of an inch line just below the frieze 
on the wall. Then at the top of the bottom border, or band next to the 
floor, we place the same two lines we have marked off at the lower edge 
of the frieze ; the 1% inch line and the three-fourths of an inch line. 
The colors for all three of the large or wide lines on the frieze and lower 
band will be a dull red, made by adding Venetian red to the red color 
used for the lines on the ceiling, until it is a good shade darker than the 
ground of the frieze. These three wide lines when " drawn in " with 
the dull red, will be outlined with the dull blue color (used on the edges 
of the wide ceiling lines), but made a strong shade darker with cobalt 
blue. The two one- half inch lines on the frieze will be drawn with the 
panel color of the ceiling, made a good shade richer with orange chrome. 
The last two lines to be " put in " are the three-fourth of an inch ones on 
the wall color. Take some of the wall color and make it a good shade 
darker with raw umber, and " draw in " the lines. This finishes the 
wall, and as we will assume that the ceiling, cornice and centre piece are 
finished, the room is done. Tinted in plain colors with lines and plain 
bands. In colors to match or harmonize with the colors in the carpet 
and other furnishings in the room. 

We will now suppose that the wood work in this room is to be 
painted in " parti-colors," that is, in the language of the painter, " three- 
color- wood- work." We will say the doors and casings, or frames, are 
of the ordinary pattern — without carving and with plain mouldings. 
As to the preparing of this work, such as the smoothing or sand-paper- 
ing up, we will say nothing here, as we are dealing with the color effects 
only as seen in the finished work. We will take for our panel color of 
the doors and all other panels that may be in the wood work, a color that 
the wall and cove colors would make mixed together, half and half, and 
softened with a tint of blue — this will be a greenish-brown, or what may 
be called a warm citron color. The next tint wanted is the stile color. 
This will be the wall color, or, we would say, the same color as the wall 
with a tint of blue to give it a slightly cooler shade. The third color 
is for the mouldings, which we will make by lightening up some of the 
stile color with white, and adding a little orange chrome, so that it will 
be a shade lighter and yellower than the stile color. These tints if 
tempered rightly as to strength of color and relative contrast, will, taken 
all together, present a very pleasing effect. 

Everybody knows that the carpet and upholstery of a room are gen- 
erally full of detail as to ornament, and more or less variety as to color, 
but as will be seen from the job we have been considering, we do not 
take into account all the minor details that go to make the general effect. 



16 AT WOOD & NICHOLS' 

It is sufficient to harmonize the colors for our walls, ceiling and other 
parts of the surfaces to be tinted, with those colors which show the 
strongest, or, to be more explicit, those colors which occupy the largest 
surfaces in the carpet and other furnishings. In making ground 
colors, therefore, for any apartment where the carpet or other colored 
objects belonging to the room are to be seen before the work is begun, 
the best effect will be produced in the coloring of the walls, ceiling, etc., 
if you take care to use tints of the same nature as those which appear 
the most prominent in the objects of furniture above mentioned. For 
instance, if the principal color is yellow, make either your wall or ceiling 
with something of the same shade, lighter, of course, for the ceiling than 
for the wall. It is proper, if you use the yellow on the ceiling, to make 
your wall color with the same tone of color a shade or two darker. 
The cove also, if there is one, may be a shade or two darker, still of the 
same, and the mouldings of the cornice the same as the ceiling, yellow, 
or even lighter yet. This kind of arrangement in coloring is called 
" symphonic," and any combination of three or more shades of the same 
color, in painting, is called a " symphony." The word is a term used 
in music to express a harmony of many parts, such as orchestral or 
choral numbers. We have a "symphony" in yellow, a "symphony" 
in blue, a " symphony " in red, etc., to the end of the list. " Sym- 
phonic," or what is the same thing, " self-shade " effects, are not used 
extensively in house decorations on account of their monotony or same- 
ness, as more pleasing effects can be produced by contrasting a variety of 
colors more or less brilliant in tint together, as is shown in carpets, cur- 
tains, etc. In our article on color effects, we shall deal more fully with 
this question, and shall give as much instruction as we can to those who 
have had less experience than we have in this branch of art. 

Since we have covered the sizing and tinting of a room in plain 
colors, we will next consider the subject of frescoing in water colors. 
Before doing so, however, we will call attention to the fact, that Atwood 
& Nichols' Prepared Fresco Colors will do away with all this mixing of 
the several tints required for such work, and also with the attendant un- 
certainty as to a first-class result. 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 17 

Frescoing in Water Colors. 



In presenting this highly interesting subject to our brother painters, 
we shall offer the simplest manner of proceeding with the work of fresco- 
ing or decorating a house that the business will admit of, and shall trust 
to our readers to make a profitable use of whatever suggestions we may 
make that shall seem new to them or appear as improvements on their 
own methods. We shall use our Combination Designs to illustrate 
how practical work in this business is done, and shall make little refer- 
ence to what may be done by old methods. When we speak of " old 
methods," we mean the ways in which decorative work is, or was, al- 
ways carried through ; the designing of special patterns and the mix- 
ing of special colors for every room we have to do. Then to go with 
it, as every painter will understand, the profit-killing annoyance of hav- 
ing the people you are working for entering a continual protest against 
everything you do, criticising the colors you put on, and making incon- 
siderate remarks that dampen your spirit and make you feel meaner 
than the low-down sarcasm itself, that is put upon you. We have had 
square acres of this kind of experience from the ignorant and unculti- 
vated, and have been subjected to the keen edge of ridicule in cases 
where the critic knew less about the work in question, than " Baalam's 
ass" knew about the secrets of the ocean. Ridicule is a sharp weapon, 
however, and the most despicable ignoramus can kill with it the most 
brilliant theories of the greatest philosopher. That ignorance has 
power cannot be disputed in matters scientific, and we will advance the 
assertion, that there is no artist, living or dead, who has not been ex- 
asperated at remarks about his work from people to whom killing would 
be a benefit to the world. The uneducated parvenu who has risen 
from the dung-hill into rosewood and brownstone, and who crows on the 
mountain of luxuries that money buys, attracts attention only through a 
display of coarseness and the making of thoughtless criticisms to show his 
ignorance. Women as well as men often make luminous examples of 
themselves in this regard, and the criticisms they unfeelingly offer, 
simply because being women they know they can do it, are sometimes 
humiliating and insulting to the last degree. We have met women 
here and there in our practice, who would be dreadfully affronted if they 
knew that they were spoken of as other than ladies, but who, to show 
their good breeding and gentleness of manner, would come into a house 
among a lot of decorators and other workmen, and rave like a termagant 
over a small matter that required nothing but a true lady's quiet sugges- 
tion to adjust in a more suitable way. 



18 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

But, as the orator says, " it is idle to enumerate." ' We "might go 
on and show up a hundred thousand discordant miseries that afflict the 
poor, confiding painter, and yet bring him no solace by their recounting. 
A talisman to prevent these nightmares is what is wanted. A touch- 
stone that shall be potent enough to call off the dogs and muzzle them as 
it were, before they bite too deeply. Something to disarm the unskill- 
ful and ignorant, and be satisfactory to the judicious and refined. We 
refer to Atwood & Nichols' Combination Designs, Stencils and Colors. 
With them you can " bid farewell to every fear and wipe your weeping 
eyes." You can lay out the design the people want for any room or 
hall, and by using the colors and patterns we provide (for any design in 
the lot), you can duplicate your arrangement of ceiling, frieze, border, 
wall, dado, etc., exactly as regards every essential of form and color to 
the enlarged scale required on the different parts of the room. You 
can produce any ceiling, centre-piece, frieze, dado, or other design, in 
thousands of different effects from what is shown, by changing the colors 
wholly or in part, to suit any effect you want to produce. There is 
practically no limit to the variety these designs are capable of, as will be 
found by any intelligent person who makes use of the details of our 
system, and we are confident that their employment will not only save 
the trade a great deal of worry and trouble, but will be the means of 
making every one who uses them more familiar with the proper placing 
of enrichments in decoration, and thereby create a higher taste and a 
better judgment in an art that is full of interest and beauty. What 
can be more refining than the study of graceful forms and beautiful 
harmonies of color ? 

To go back to the article next preceeding, " Tinting in Plain Colors," 
we find that the ceiling has been divided into two parts (the stile and 
panel) and finished with ruled lines in stronger colors to make the plain 
surfaces more attractive. The cornice with its cove and mouldings has 
been tinted to "go in" nicely with the ceiling. The wall has been 
furnished with a plain frieze at the top and a plain band at the bottom — 
both of which divisions have been improved by lines of color in the same 
manner as the ceiling. The wall surface between the frieze and lower 
band has been " done in " with a plain, solid color. We have a room 
then representing the most simple phase — or style of frescoing or decorat- 
ing. We will suppose now that it is too plain, that it is all right in 
point of color as far as it goes, but that your customer or client (as you 
choose), is willing to pay for the addition of some ornamental work. 
He asks you what you would suggest, and in the presence of several of 
the household, you are somewhat confused and cannot bring a suitable 
set of designs to mind under the circumstances, and so are compelled to 
tell the folks that you will have to "think up something over night.' 7 
Many people have an idea that a painter can do anything in the business 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 19 

and at a moment's notice, and so when you hesitate over such a question, 
they are apt to think you don't amount to much as a decorative artist. 
They don't think that a new combination of forms and colors is a creation 
of the brain and needs some little consideration and study, but that a 
painter's mind is something like "a ready reckoner or lightning calcu- 
lator," which has an answer to every question before it is asked and is 
not bothered with thinking. 

Suppose, though, you have our designs at hand, and want to make a 
selection from them of different pieces to suit the case, which answers 
the question as to what you would suggest without any delay whatever. 
Around the centre piece on the ceiling, which we will assume to be a cir- 
cular plate, as the most of centres are, we will have a small ornament 
pointing outward from the centre all round; No. 36 will be as elaborate 
a border as we want. It will look well if it is stenciled in the bit 3- 
gray the same as it is on the strip, because there is blue in the furnishings 
of the room, and then again, the ground color of this border is soit.b 
thing like the color of our ceiling panel and about as dark. If yco 
choose, you can put the line part of the border in a soft red or brown 
and the leaves and stem in blue ; you can connect the two side leaves to 
the stem with a darker blue if you like, and run it up into all the leaves 
like a vein or stem. This little pencil work will make the border look 
nicer and more finished according to your taste, although the form and 
effect of the ornament is well expressed without it. This ornament we 
must not neglect to say ought to be about four or live inches wide— the 
extent of the middle leaf and stem. This border, being used as a 
fringe or inside ornament, will be stenciled all round the ceiling panel 
just inside the line which was drawn on the ceiling panel next to the 
stile. It will be " stemed up " and finished the same as it is around the 
centre piece. 

Next, we will select a frieze border ornamental band for the stile 
on the ceiling— as our ground is a warm brown color or soft red, we will 
stencil in some rich colors and soften the whole effect with warm gray 
or dull blue. Take frieze border No. 50 — that is, the patterns for it, 
not the colors, as they are not strong enough for this work. We will 
make the vine or interlaced figure, which is now very light, of a rich 
brown or shade of the ground, something like the dark color in frieze 
No. 44. The leaves we will " stencil in" with a light of the ground 
(a shade yellower than the ground) ; like the light color in the middle of 
No. 44. "Put in" the berries with English vermillion like the leaf 
ornament in dado No. 56. Next, take the same stencil you used for the 
light leaves, and blend in the soft blue gray (with which the inside 
border on the ceiling was done) a little into the light leaves, about one- 
half an inch, with a sash-tool or other small brush not having much 
color in it, in fact, nearly dry. This nearly dry brush will be apt to 



20 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

produce a nicer job of blending the light buff and gray together, than if 
it was very wet or full of color — a little practice in this work of stencil- 
ing will be the best teacher that can be found. After the leaves are all 
finished round the ceiling, put a little round dot or touch of orange 
chrome yellow in the middle of every red berrie or ball, and the trieze 
will look quite nice. If you want to finish it up a little better, connect 
all the red berries to the main stem or vine with a dark fine stem in a 
shade of brown or red (carmine will do), and also shade the main vine, 
with the dark red, where the stenciled leaves lap over it and at the inter- 
sections where the two vines cross each other. Next, we will decorate 
the cove of the cornice, supposing, of course, that it is wide enough to 
admit of an ornament. We will presume that the cove is from six to 
eight inches across the opening — from one moulding to the other. We 
will have some gold bronze in the cove, as metallic lustres appear to 
better advantage on a curved surface than they do on a flat one. The 
ground in this cove is something like the rich ground of centre piece 
No. 13, only not so yellow, but a little redder. Take the cove border 
No. 68, which is only a simple alternation of the same leaf, easy of appli- 
cation to the cove surface, and "put in " one of the figures with a dark 
red, a good shade darker than the ground of the cove, and the other with 
pale gold bronze — carmine will be very rich for this red and will look 
very handsome. If you want to finish this border up a little more, 
"put in " a dull blue stem on the red leaves and an orange stem on the 
gold ones. It will look enough better to warrant your doing it. 

Next, we will decorate the frieze on the wall. As the ground of this 
frieze is gray, we will use No. 38 for it. It may be stenciled in exactly 
as it is, in effect, or be made a little richer by " blending in " the tips of 
the olive scroll leaves with soft red, or the stile color of the ceiling, in the 
same way that the gray was blended into the buff on the stile of the 
ceiling. The gray of our frieze in the room we are considering, is a 
made warmer or yellower than the ground color of No. 38, but the orna- 
ment colors in the border as it is would not be out of harmony with the 
pellower ground, and, therefore, would not require changing except in 
me addition of the red tint we have suggested. The frieze being fin- 
ished we will put a "fringe border" on the wall below the frieze. 
No. 25 in the same colors shown on the leaves (blue and yellow-brown), 
will be correct when stenciled on the wall color in the position in which 
they are shown ; that is, points down. We don't want to use the 
ground color of No. 25, only the figures in the same colors as they are — 
the yellow is something like our cove color, and the blue is like what we 
have been using in the other ornaments. If you think a little more 
work would not be more than the contract will stand, put No. 36 at the 
bottom of the wall above the lower band lines, in the same colors as were 
iise<j;in. the upper " fringe border " No. 25. If you want to make this 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 21 

room a little richer yet, run in some pale gold bronze on one or two mem- 
bers of the cornice mouldings, and also in the moulded work of the 
centre piece. Always put your bronze, whenever possible, on the 
rounded surfaces, as it shows better than it would on flat surfaces, 
except, perhaps, on the flat of the ceiling where it has a play of light in 
more directions than one, and, consequently, reflects or shines to good 
advantage. The same is true as to gold and silver leaf, or any other 
bright reflecting medium. If there are leaves or scrolls in the centre 
piece, the tips of them may be " blended in " with the gold bronze, and 
made to look well. The imaginary room we have just completed 
would, in addition to being simple and easily done, be rich enough in 
color and ornament, to suit the majority of people who live in houses 
that cost from $5,000 to $10,000 to build. Houses that cost less than this 
lowest figure, though are often pretty nicely decorated in the better 
rooms, and on the other hand, the more costly houses are often poorly 
clone, which rests altogether in the tastes of the owners and the painter. 
The people themselves, for whom you may be decorating houses, will 
make plenty of suggestions of their own by combining and selecting 
borders and other ornaments for different rooms, most any of which will 
be appropriate. You will find by continual use of these designs, that 
your services will scarcely be needed when the people you serve can get 
a chance to combine and place the different pieces, for a series of rooms 
they want decorated, to suit their own ideas. The ideas are in the 
designs themselves, and persons of taste will select what pleases them 
best, according to their estimate of forms and colors. This condition of 
things, then, will be as good for you as the " ready reckoner'" is to those 
that use it. There is yet another source of benefit in them to the 
painter. He goes, for instance, to a house wherein he thinks he can get 
a job to fresco the parlor. If he is sensible, he goes when the ladies 
are at home. He has been invited to i-how a sketch or design for the 
decoration of the parlor. Under the reign of the old system, he would 
have to sit clown and neglect his other business to make up a design. 
He cannot put his mind on it as he wants to, because he knows something 
else of importance is suffering from a lack of his attention. He cannot 
do it as he would like to, and, therefore, is afraid he will not get the job, 
and so he is between two fires, as it were, with neither of them properly 
managed. He will either find himself in this condition, or else he will 
have to pay some other designer to get up the sketch for him. Even if 
he does, he is not sure of the job, but may be so much out. With these 
Combination Designs of ours under his arm, he stands a better chance 
as any one can plainly see. He has not only one sketch that cost him 
twenty-five dollars to make, but about fifty thousand sketches for that 
parlor which only cost him twenty-five dollars altogether, and that will 
allow him to decorate fifty thousand parlors, and have no two alike. 



22 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

If this is not somewhat of an advantage we would like to hear of some- 
thing that is. 

When our painter gets to the house in question, he will show up the 
designs by putting the different pieces together, which, in his judgment, 
is best suited to the style of the room and its furnishings. It may be 
accepted as he has arranged it, or some one of the ladies will suggest a 
change in it. The frieze, for instance, may be replaced by some one of 
t lie other friezes, and the room done according to the approved design. 
Further than this, the ladies seeing the opportunity will begin to arrange 
combinations for other rooms in the house, and if the painter is a good, 
smooth talker, and has an eye to business, he will get more of a job in 
that house than the parlor amounts to. It may be said that in the 
using of these designs he will have to do a great many rooms alike, but 
this is not the case, because he can make as many changes in them as he 
likes, and, therefore, never duplicate any job. These designs have an 
advantage over paper hangings also, because any ceiling or other part 
can be changed in color to suit circumstances whenever needed, which is 
not possible in the wall papers. There are some designs in wall papers 
which are printed in a dozen or more different combinations of color, 
but for all that, you can not change some particular figure, or set of 
figures, into any color you want to and leave the rest as it was printed, 
unless you give yourself the trouble of going all over the surface of the 
paper to change the effect, which, be it said, is seldom done. Then 
igain, papering has a sameness which makes it inartistic and common; 
io much so, that there are thousands of good houses in which no paper 
vould ever have been put on the walls if they could have been frescoed 
)y hand work. It is somewhat depressing to find your parlor or din- 
ing-room paper on the first bar-room or billiard hall you come to, not to 
say anything of your guests discovering that the back chambers of 
several other houses have been furnished with your parlor decorations. 
The papers are made to sell and paste up regardless of repetition and 
careless of the dictates of taste in a great many instances. On the 
other hand, our designs call for hand-work, which is more aristocratic 
than pasting on paper hangings. Then, you have the satisfaction of 
being able to show how the room will look before you begin it, which is 
impracticable in the papers, as they are too large to be used in the same 
way. Further, you can add to or subtract from any design, change the 
color in a vast number of ways, and still never repeat what you have 
done before. 

We will call attention to a few instances in which changes may be 
brought about so that it will be readily understood. We will take 
coiling No. 2 to begin with. On one job you use it as it is, to make 
ii different, put border No. 34 between the red lines all round (of course 
ir will be understood that all the ceiling patterns represent only one- 



PKACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 23 

quarter of a ceiling in every case, the center pieces or rosettes are the 
only pieces that are carried out in full), and for the next job, put No. 36 
all round inside the panel (towards the centre of the ceiling) ; you may 
leave No. 34 out or in as you choose. Next, take out No. 34 and also 
the red lines, and put No. 47 around the ceiling in place of the red, or 
you can make the scroll ornament in No. 47 in the same red as was in the 
lines originally. Next, you may change the two borders, No. 36 and 
No. 47, into any of the colors found on the other ceiling designs. Next. 
" put in " No. 51 with the colors as they are, or "do in " the little rosettes 
with red, or pink, or brown, or gray, or anything else that will show 
well. Next, " put in " No. 45 which is somewhat rich in color (having 
two different shades of red), or, if you like, use No. 44 instead, with 
No. 35 stenciled in light blue as an inside border. To make a change in 
this, "put in " the center piece No. 14 in good size, say three or four feet 
across, according to the size of the room. To make another change, 
" put in " the centre ground or panel color with the light gray in ceiling 
No. 7. Use center piece No. 21, with the cross-form panel in the centre, 
in the same red as the lines, or, any other strong color you may be using 
as a border on the outside next to the wall. Exchange center piece 
No. 21 for No, 22. The square ground in this may be changed from 
what it is to the ground color in No. 23, or, No. 23 may be changed to the 
place of No. 22. It would be useless to say that the twelve centre 

pieces can be made to look entirely different by changing the colors and 
leaving out parts of the ornaments and adding parts of the others, as it 
will be self-evident to anyone who can see the difference between form 
and color. Every change made, therefore, will make a more or less 
different ceiling. If you want to use No. 2 still on account of the 
particular colors in it, and think it too simple or plain in design in the 
original, take the ornamental lines and corner piece in No. 5 and paint 
them in with gray and gold, or with blue and olive, or with the dark 
drab in the stile of No. 2, with a little of the dark blue shown in the 
square to give it effect. Again, the vine pattern in light gray and blue, 
No. 28, would look well as a running border on the panel stencilled in 
with the dark drab. Don't forget that we are using ceiling No. 2 all 
this time, and are only pointing out a very few of the changes that can be 
made, with some of the borders and other pieces, in order to make a differ- 
ent looking ceiling of it for use in many places or different jobs. Next, 
if you like, " put in " the corner piece of ceiling No. 10, using the colors 
and gold of ceiling No. 8. To make this combination richer, take the 
corner piece of No. 10 and put it together in the centre of the ceiling 
(using it four times to make a centre piece), or use the centre piece No. 19 
which harmonizes with it in the form of the ornaments. Put this last 
centre on the gold ground as shown, or stencil the ornaments loose on the 
ceiling with the scolloped outline in gold, or in white as it is. If you 



24 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

want to take the plainness out of the red lines on ceiling No. 2, stencil in 
some dots either in lighter or darker red as shown in dado No. 56. If 
you want an effective border on your ceiling use the Greek ornament in 
dado No. 52, leaving out everything above the middle line of circular 
rosettes. You can change the colors in this as well as in every other 
border, ceiling or centre, as will be understood, so there will be no 
trouble in using any suitable design that may harmonize in form with 
the other ornaments in whatever combination you are making up. 
To go back to our ceilings, you may still multiply to an eternal extent 
all the different colors we have been using, by mixing them together in 
the pots. Make the centre panel a soft green color by mixing the dark 
blue and the yellow of the plain border (in ceiling No. 2) with some of 
the ceiling color as it is. Add only the blue, and you make a warm 
gray. Add only the yellow, and you will have a buff— more or less 
yellow, of course, according to the quantity put in. Add only the red, 
and you get a color something like the the brown color in ceiling No. 9. 
Add the dark drab of the stile color to the panel color, and you get a 
shade on which any color that is lighter or darker will show well — it will 
be what is called a warm neutral, which is a good back-ground for most 
any thing. Considering this point of mixing the many different colors 
with each other in different ways, and changing them to lighter and 
darker in tone at will, we fail to see where the utility of these combina- 
tions end, and content ourselves with saying that they will fill the bill as 
to any kind of color effect that is likely to be wanted in house decoration. 



"Ss^M* 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 25 

Combinations for Parlors and Chambers, or other 
Rooms Requiring Decorations. 



We have not undertaken to cover the whole realm of ornamental 
design, in fact, we have only touched upon it, so to speak, and have 
only essayed to furnish a few colors out of the countless millions of 
shades, but, for all that, the interminable line of changes that these few 
forms and colors are capable of being put to, will astonish many who are 
not given to studying these things. We have placed these 90 pieces in 
combination, changing them into arrangements more or less elaborate in 
effect, and with ornamental richness to a greater or less degree, all of 
which combinations are harmonious and pleasing. Any of the sets as 
laid down may be simplified by leaving off the dadoes, or parts of them, 
or leaving off the small borders and still keep a harmony in the different 
pieces that are left. We will name those that are suitable for parlors, 
or at least some few of them. Next, we will arrange appropriate 
combinations for dining-rooms and halls, and make up some others as 
suggestions for libraries and also for chambers. As we have said, 
there is practically no end to the changes that can be made with these 
pieces, but there are combinations among them, which, it will be under- 
stood, are better than others. The selections we have made and 
set down in the following list will all be found correct as to combination 
of ornament and harmony of color, and wherever the furnishings of any 
room you wish to fresco will allow, in the style of ornament or shade of 
color as shown in the furnishings, you can use any one of the arrange- 
ments given and it will be good. We will begin with the plainest 
combinations; those containing the smallest number of pieces are most 
suitable for chambers and small parlors or sitting rooms. The selec- 
tions we have made are not arbitrary as will be found when you begin to 
make combinations to suit your own taste, or to suit any particular room 
or set of rooms. 

The following numbers begin at the ceiling in every case and read 
downward, that is, the ceiling first, the frieze-borders next, the wall next, 
and lastly the base border or dado if there is one in the combination. 
Many of these "layouts" have no border at the bottom of the wall, 
because a great many rooms are done plain at the base in actual practice, 
but the value of a border at the bottom is apparent to any one who 
appreciates the beauties of decoration : 

Nos. 1, 45, 83. 1, 45, 80. 1, 44, 80. 1, 38, 31, 80. 1, 44, 79. 

1, 45, 79. 1, 40, 79. 1, 47, 79. 1. 34, 79. 1, 34, 89. 1, 44, 89. 

1, 41, 89. 1, 45, 81. 1, 45, 87. 1, 32, 40, 32, 87. 



26 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

1, 32, 40, 32, 83, 1, 32, 40, 32, 88. 1, 38, 30. 83—30 to be stenciled in 
shades of (he wall, instead of olive. 1, 45, 84 — a shade lighter for wall. 

2, 34, 85. 2, 34, 88, 34. 2, 26, 89, 32. 2, 43, 89, 28. 2, 43, 88, 32. 
1, 37, 80. 1, 36, 83, 42. 1, 36, 80, 40. 1, 47, 80, 42. 1, 44, 81, 44. 
1, 44, 87, 44. 1, 38, 81, 43. 1. 40, 81, 30. 1, 42, 30, 42, 81, 39. 
1, 43, 89, 33. 1, 43, 84. 41. 1, 44, 84, 41. 1, 58, 84, 44— replace the 
lower lines in 58 by the border 28. 1, 58, 89. 1, 58, 81. 1, 58, 87. 

1, 58, 79—58 to be treated in these last four combinations the same as in 
the " layout " first preceding them. 2, 49, 89. 2, 44, 89. 2, 46, 89. 

2, 32, 46, 32, 89. 2, 34, 46, 89. 2. 57, 30, 89, 34. 2, 34, 55, 32, 89. 

2, 57, 30, 89. 2, 57, 30, 89, 54. 3, 38, 81. 3, 44, 81. 3, 47, 81. 

3, 41, 28, 83. 3, 34, 41, 34, 83—41 to be stenciled in shades of the wall 
instead of the red colors. 3, 34, 26, 83. 3, 34, 45, 36, 83, 36, 45, 34. 

4, 36, 83. 4, 43, 83. 5, 58, 30, 79. 5, 58, 30, 80. 5, 40, 30, 79, 40. 

5, 40, 29, 79, 28. 5, 40, 29, 83, 28. 5, 46, 89. 5, 46, 84, 32. 5, 46, 87, 32. 
5,46,81,32. 5,46,81,28. 5,46,82,28. 9,40.79,47. 6,57,30,89. 

6, 41. 28, 81, 28, 41. 6. 41, 28, 81. 6, 40, 28, 84. 6, 48, 28,, 80. 

7, 48, 28, 89. 7, 41, 28, 81, 28, 41. 7, 57, 30, 89. 9, 41, 89, 34. 
9,41,83,34. 9,41,84,34. 9,50,87,34. 9,50,87,50. 9,50,89,50. 
9,41,33,81,34. 9,41.79, 9,45,79. 9,58,30,85. 10,40,89. 

10, 40, 27, 89, 27, 40. 10, 58, 30, 89. 10, 58, 30, 81. . 10, 58, 30, 79. 

11, 34, 47, 34, 83, 34. 11, 34, 45, 34, 83, 34. 11, 34, 45, 34, 88, 34. 
11, 34, 45, 34, 87, 34. 11, 34, 45, 34, 85, 34. 11. 34, 43, 33, 87, 33. 
11, 45, 25, 87, 35, 37. 11, 49, 48. 81. 49. 11, 48, 25, 87, 25, 45. 

11, 46, 80, 45, 12, 40, 29, 79, 29, 40— the 29 in both borders to be done in 
pink, 12, 40, 30, 79, 29, 40—29 lo be done in pink. 12, 40, 36, 79, 36, 40. 

12, 45, 30, 87, 30, 45. 12, 45, 30, 87, 30, 44. 12, 45, 30, 81, 30, 44. 
12, 45, 30, 83, 30, 44. 12, 45, 30, 84, 30, 40. 12, 41, 28, 85. 
12, 50, 25, 79. 12, 38, 79, 38. 12, 40, 28, 81, 28. 12, 50, 31, 80 
12, 50, 31, 81. 12, 58, 28, 80— the red and yellow lines in 58 to be 
replaced by 28; the same in the following combination: 12, 58, 30, 89. 
1, 50, 30, 83, 62. 1, 32, 79, 32. 1, 26, 90, 62. 1, 41, 83, 41. 
1, 41, 87, 41. 1, 41, 80, 34. 1, 34, 80, 41. 1, 40, 79, 57. 1, 64, 85, 44. 
4, 50, 32, 83, 63. 4, 38, 79, 40. 4, 40, 79, 40. 4, 43, 80, 40. 

4, 47, 83, 47. 5, 41, 28, 87, 30, 53. 5, 41, 28, 89, 30, 53. 

5, 48, 30, 79, 36, 53. 5, 48, 30, 79, 36, 59. 5, 48, 30, 87, 36, 60. 

5, 59, 89, 28, 61. 6, 50, 30, 83, 31, 63. 6, 48, 30, 84, 30, 55. 

6, 48, 36, 89, 34, 61. 6, 48, 36, 89, 34, 60. 6, 48, 36, 89, 34, 54. 

6, 48 ; 36, 89, 34, 55. 6, 48, 36, 89, 30, 63. 6, 48, 36, 79, 36, 63. 

7, 57, 28, 84, 28, 54. 7, 45, 28, 84, 28, 54. 7, 45, 28, 84, 28, 63. 

7, 45, 28, 84, 34, 61. 7, 68, 60, 86, 68, 56. 8, 34, 48. 34, 87, 34, 55, 34- 

8, 45, 36, 87, 36, 59, 34. 8, 44, 33, 88, 34, 60. 8, 53, 84, 28, 56, 43. 

8, 53, 28, 84, 28, 60, 28. 8, 63, 81. 28, 54. 8, 48, 36, 89, 34, 60. 

9, 48, 26, 79, 34, 59, 26. 9, 41, 30, 79, 34, 55. 9. 41, 30, 79, 34, 61. 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 27 

9, 41, 30, 79, 34, 53. 9. 41, 83, 53. 9, 48, 36, 89, 34, 61. 11 , 48," 83, 63 
11, 41, 28, 82, 36, 53. 11, 41, 28, 83, 36, 53. 11, 48, 36, 79, 36, 53. 

11, 48, 36, 79, 36, 41. 11, 48, 26, 79, 26, 57. 11, 28, 57, 28, 90, 28, 52, 28. 
11, 28, 57, 36, 87, 36, 52. 

THE FOLLOWING COMBINATIONS ARE ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR EVENING 

EFFECTS IN COLOR, COMBINING TINTS THAT SHOW WELL BY 

GAS OR LAMP LIGHT : 

1, 60, 28, 87, 28, 44. 1, 60, 32, 89, 44. 2, 61, 84, 44. 2, 61, 28, 89, 63. 

2, 61. 86, 56. 2, 60, 81, 56. 2, 60, 68, 89, 68, 60. 3, 59, 83, 63. 

6, 44, 28, 84, 28, 62. 66, 45, 87, 63. 66, 68, 60 86, 68, 56. 

7, 48, 84, 36, 64. 7, 48, 28, 82, 28, 85. 7, 48, 28, 82, 28, 60. 
11, 68, 60, 86, 68, 56. 7, 48, 28, 82, 28, 54. 7, 41, 28, 87, 28, 55. 

7, 45, 87, 28, 63. 7, 68, 60, 89, 68, 56. 8, 59, 83, 53. 8, 59, 83, 54. 

8, 59, 89, 28, 56. 8, 59, 89, 28, 61. 8, 61, 68, 84, 68, 56. 9, 59, 83, 63. 

9, 44, 28, 84, 28, 62. 9, 44, 28, 82, 28, 56. 9, 59, 83, 52. 9, 59, 83, 53. 

THE FOLLOWING COMBINATIONS ARE ARRANGED FOR DINING-ROOMS, 

ALTHOUGH THEY MAY BE USED IN ANY GOOD SIZE ROOM WHERE 

FULLNESS AND RICHNESS OF COLOR IS WANTED 

Ceiling No. 8 with centre piece No. 18 to be stenciled into the square 
panels of ceiling; the centre piece to be 12 inches or so in diameter to 
form rosettes. Frieze No. 53. Border No. 38. Wall No. 82. 
Borders Nos. 38, 83, 38, 62, as base or dado. 

Ceiling No. 8 — with centre piece No. 21 in the panels — 53, 38, 
83, 38, 62. 

The next set will be the same as the first preceding, only change the 
wall color to that of No. 87. 

For the next combination, use centre piece No. 14 in panels of ceil- 
ing, and No. 81 for wall color, leaving the borders as before. 

Ceiling No. 8— with centre piece No. 19 in panels— 53, 36, 89, 36, 54. 

Ceiling No. 11 ; for frieze use No. 53, replacing the olive-yellow 
bands in it by border No. 33, top and bottom. Wall color No. 84. 
Border No. 36. Dado No. 60, with its top and bottom borders replaced 
by No. 34. 

Ceiling No. 11. No. 60 for the frieze, its two borders replaced by 
No. 34 the same as in the preceding combination. No. 30 as border 
under the frieze, stenciled on the wall color in lighter and darker blue. 
Wall color No. 84. No. 30 in blue shades the same as under the frieze 

at the top of the wall color. Dado No. 61. 

Ceiling No. 12 with centre piece No. 20. Nos. 58 and 27 in light 
and dark olive of the wall. Wall color No. 79 Repeat No. 27 above 
dado No. 40. 

Ceiling No. 12— with centre piece No. 20—28, 40, 28, 83, 28, 44, 28. 

Ceiling No. 9— with centre piece No. 14—28, 41, 28, 83, 28, 44, 28. 



28 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

Ceiling No. 2— with centre piece No. 22—28, 41, 28, 82, 28, 41, 28. 

Ceiling No. 2— with centre piece No. 18—28, 44, 28, 82, 28, 44. 

Ceiling No. 2. Centre piece No. 13, with the centre vine ornament 
of No. 58 on the ceiling as a border, 18 inches wide, stenciled on the drab 
ground in its own colors, blue, pink and olive. Nos. 28, 57 — 28 replac- 
ing red and yellow bands of 57. Wall color No. 87. No. 29 stenciled 
on the wall color, above the dado, in the yellow-brown of No. 57. 
Dado No. 57. 

THE FOLLOWING COMBINATIONS WILL BE FOUND SUITABLE FOR DINING- 
ROOMS, HALLS, VESTIBULES, ENTRANCES TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS 
OR OFFICE BUILDINGS : 

Through all of the following we make use of the tile or geometric 
designs. 

Nos. 11, 41, 57, 44, 79, 44, 61.— the latter 44 to be in shades of the 
wall color. 11, 68, 53, 30, 79, 30, 61. 11, 68, 53, 30, 79, 30,53. 

11, 68, 53, 30, 88, 36, 50. 8, 68, 64, 34 82, 34, 75. 10, 58, 41, 71, 44, 76. 

7, 68, 69, 71, 34, 76. 7, 68, 70, 34, 72, 44, 75. 8, 68, 74, 49, 70, 49. 

8, 49, 34, 72, 49, 76. 2, 68, 74, 44, 75. 10, 68, 45, 71, 45, 76. 
10, 68, 69, 71, 41, 76. 11, 49, 68, 74, 44, 75. 66, 68, 32, 69, 32, 74, 32, 69 44. 
66, 68, 32 69, 32, 72, 32, -69, 44. 66, 68, 32, 69, 32, 71, 32, 69, 44. 
66, 68, 44, 70, 44, 84, 44, 56. 66, 68, 75, 36, 84, 44, 53. 

Nos. 11, 53, 32, 86, 32, 53— the centre band of ornament in No. 53 to 
be replaced by 69 in both cases. No. 32 will be done in shades of the 
wall color, that is, one figure a shade lighter, and the other a shade 
darker. 

For the next combination, change only the wall color, using No. 84. 

Change the effect of the same combination again by putting in, one 
after the other, the wall colors Nos. 82, 89, 90. 

For another arrangement use ceiling No. 2, centre piece No. 78, leav- 
ing the other numbers as before. 

Nos. 74, 68, 69, 53, 32, 72, 32, 53— the centre band ornament of No. 53 
to be replaced by No. 69. No. 32 in its own colors as it now shows. 

Same combination again, with No. 73 as ceiling in place of No. 74. 

Make the next change by putting No. 71, as ceiling, in place of No. 74, 
leaving the other numbers as they were. 

Another change is made by using ceiling No. 66 in place of No. 71. 

Make another arrangement by simply changing the wall color to 
No. 73, leaving all the other numbers as they were. 

Nos. 71, 68, 60, 34— in blue, black and buff— 86, 34, 70, 60. 

Nos. 71, 68, 70, 60, 70, 28, 86, 28, 69, 56, 69—71, with the red squares 
in the field of ceiling changed to blue. This combination U very rich 
and strong. 

The same again with wall changed to Nos. 84 or 86. 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 29 

Nos. 71. 68, 70, 55, 70, 32, 84, 69, 60, 69.-55 to be treated as to red 
lines and yellow dots, like the next preceding " layout." 
Nos. 7i, 68, 44, 69, 44, 87, 34, 75, 34. 

FOLLOWING ARE SOME COMBINATIONS FOR MORE QUIET EFFECTS, AND ARE 

GOOD FOR SUCH ROOMS AS LIBRARIES, OR WHEREVER SUCH AN 

EXPRESSION OF COLORING IS DESIRED. 

Ceiling No. 6 with its broad, ornamental band changed to No. 50. 
Nos. 76 and 33 in shades of the wall color. Nos. 86 and 34 in shades 
of the wall color. No. 49 at the bottom. 

Ceiling No. 6 with its broad band ornament in shades of darker 
brown, and the pink color in it, to be replaced by the light color of the 
ceiling. Centre-piece No. 78 for the ceiling, with all the black in it, 
except the outer corners changed to gray-olive of the ceiling. 

Nos. 49, 70, 49, 86, 34, 49. 

Nos. 8 and 60 with the centre part replaced by No. 70. Wall No. 
86— rich in effect with but few parts. 

For a ceiling take No. 66 and put in the large ground or centre panel 
with the light olive-yellow of ceiling No. 5, instead of the gray squares. 
Take for a border round the centre panel, No. 36, in the blue, as it is 
with the figures about half as far apart in proportion, and with the leaves 
pointing towards the centre of the ceiling. For the wall frieze use 
No. 69, below it on the wall color, use No. 36 in a shade darker of the 
wall color. No. 87 for the wall color; No. 36 again as above; No. 70 
for a base border. For another combination use the same "layout," 
changing only the wall color to No. 90 instead of No. 87. 

For another change use ceiling No. 65. Replace the black squares 
in the outside border with the wall color No. 90. For the centre panel 
of the ceiling leave off all the brown squares except the row on the 
outside (nearest the wall). In place of the brown squares which we 
leave out of the centre panel, we will lay in a plain ground of the gray 
or drab color which is in the other squares with the blue, white and yel- 
low. If you want a centre-piece in the ceiling, take No. 18 and treat it 
with the colors of the ceiling instead of pink. Use No. 70 for a wall 
frieze, No. 86 for the wall color, and No. 76 for the base. Draw a line 
of the red-brown color, about an inch wide, on the wall below the frieze, 
and the same above the base border to complete the design. 

A handsome design can be made by using ceiling No. 73, with the 
squares left out of the centre panel and the same laid in with blue-gray, 
like the ground of frieze-border No. 38. Then use No. 38 as it is for a 
border around the panel. For a wall frieze use No. 61 ; No. 34 below it 
on the wall; wall color, No. 83; No. 34 again just above the base; 
base, No. 70. 



30 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

Another bright combination is made by laying in a ceiling with the 
drab ground of centre piece No. 14. Have a stile around it. next to the 
wall and about 14 inches wide, of a light olive-yellow like that in dado 
No. 53. Outline it with a stripe of blue, an inch wide, and draw 
another line of the same width on each side of that, and an inch away 
from it, with pink. Then use the rosette or centre-piece No. 14 all 
round the ceiling to form a border, placing them about five or six inches 
away from each other. These rosettes may be from 12 to 24 inches in 
diameter, according to the size of the ceiling. Use a larger one in the 
same colors for a centre piece. Next, take No. 53 for a wall frieze ; the 
light yellow in No. 53 for a wall color, and No. 53 again as a base or dado. 

"We might go on and make up a vast number of combinations with 
these designs, but we think, with the suggestions we have made and the 
combinations we have shown, that any painter taking a number of these 
as a guide will find little difficulty in putting together as many more, 
so we will leave this part of the case to the painters themselves. It 
will be seen that almost any of the combinations we have given may be 
changed into a greater variety still, by putting in different wall colors 
from the ones we have suggested. The colors in any ceiling or orna- 
ment, or series of ornaments, can be carried into an endless variety by 
coloring them differently, either wholly or in part. The water colors 
also may be made into almost any shade you wish by inter-mixing them, 
one with the other. 

The stencils for border ornaments, centre pieces, dadoes, etc., can be 
made use of to create a great number of designs, differing widely in 
character and effect, from the ones they were first made for.. As will 
readily be seen, we have not attempted, in our ceiling designs, to show a 
great variety of color. We have kept them light and generally " soft " 
in contrast, so that delicate effects will not be wanting, whenever 
required, in making up combinations. Some of the borders are also 
very light, but they were made so for a purpose. The purpose is to 
have something for people who object to any coloring which is not nearly 
white, and, therefore, we think it is well to give some pieces very delicate 
in contrast to suit that kind of patrons. Any of the light colored 
pieces, however, may be made to suit any strength of color in the fur- 
nishings of a room, if the forms of the ornaments in them are suitable 
to the place you wish to use them in — that is to say, you can change the 
colors in any border or other design for those of some other pattern. 

It will be noticed that a great many of the combinations we have 
given, have small borders placed below the frieze and above the dado or 
base on the wall color. They always have a finishing effect on a wall 
or ceiling, used as a fringe or open figure to blend, as it were, the stronger 
colored borders into the plain grounds next to them. A frieze at the 
top of a wall or ornamented band on a ceiling, with straight lines along 



PKACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 31 

the edges, never will look finished if there is not a small border close to 
it to soften the contrast between it and the plain surface— to bring the 
plain and ornamental work together. The smaller borders are made 
for this purpose, and the stencils for them are cut, in every pattern, for 
each border in three sizes, to make borders from three to six inches wide, 
to be used under friezes (on the plain wall color) and as a top border for 
dadoes. They will be found useful also on ceilings, in cornices, or to 
give a neat finish to any otherwise plain job of tinting or painting. 
Those numbered from 25 to 36 are the ones we refer to. In the dadoes 
or broad-band designs, numbered from 52 to 64, will be found other 
pieces or parts that can be used as small borders or band lines, and the 
tile borders and dadoes Nos. 69, 70, 75, 76, have in them quite a variety 
of geometric forms that can be put on with good effect, either in the 
strong colors as they are, or in softer and lighter tints. 

As we have intimated before, the changes that can be made with 
these designs are not limited to the arrangements of color shown in the 
several pieces, as any one of them may be given a totally different effect 
by changing the colors, in its ground and in its ornaments, to those of 
some other. Take as example, the very strong and elaborate dado 
No. 56: In it are two shades of red, a light gray, blue and brown. 
We want to use the design or ornamental forms, we will say, on a cer- 
tain job (a large ceiling for instance) and cannot stand so much strong 
red, and want a softer and lighter effect in color, but still we want it to 
look rich when it is all done. In place of the dark red back-ground 
we will " lay in " the rich olive ground of No. 55. As the gray color 
in No. 56 would not show on the color we have put in the ground with, 
we will change the gray to the shade, or olive-brown color, in No. 55 (the 
color of the scrolls). Next, put in the blue as it is, and in the same 
places as it appears in No. 56. Change the triangular brown line to 
the light color seen in the irregular circles on No. 55. Leave out the 
dots on the blue triangle. Leave out the red back-ground on which the 
olive leaf ornament is shown in No, 56, and stencil the leaves in with the 
same light color as we have put in the triangular brown lines. For 
the light red figure, we will use the rich red-brown color in the ground 
of the rosette in No. 53. The dark red lines will be left out, and the 
red-brown of No. 53 (as mentioned) put in its place. The red dots will 
not be too bright stenciled in on this last color. This arrangement of 
colors will have a soft appearance, something like the effect shown in 
No. 63, only it will be somewhat richer in color. . A good study of 
color harmonies is afforded by the inter-changing of these border colors, 
and whatever is learned of color contrasts and harmonious effects by 
this, best of all methods of practice, will remain in the mind of the 
student as a permanent benefit, when the most learned formula he may 
ever have read upon the subject shall have vanished from his memory. 



32 ATWOOD &. NICHOLS' 

Words are not deeds, and as it is essential to every painter to have a good 
store of practical experience in color-blending' to draw upon, we would 
recommend that he read less about it and practice more. The possessor 
of these designs and colors should make a business of studying such 
changes as we have suggested, in his spare time, and devote every hour 
to it that he is not compelled to use for other matters. If he would be 
an able artist in the combining of colors, he will see the way to that 
accomplishment through the medium we have given him. Thousands 
of good and beautiful arrangements of colors for every day use will be 
created by the painter himself, out of these shades, when he becomes 
seriously interested in studying the noble art of color and design for 
his own advancement. If, in conjunction with the ability to handle 
colors well, he would possess the next great essential, the drawing of 
simple ornaments, let him copy the ornaments in any or all of these 
designs. Draw them with the free hand, using a rule on nothing but 
straight lines. Draw them on a large sheet of paper, on a piece of 
calcimined wall or any other surface that will allow of it. Use a stick 
of charcoal or a chalk crayon. A good black-board, about 4 feet by 
8 feet, is a most valuable piece of furniture for a painter to own — that is 
if he would advance himself. The ornamental shapes in our borders, 
walls and ceilings, are extremely simple in comparison with the most of 
the designs we meet with, yet they are such as is used every day and are 
all capable of being elaborated by shading or by color variegations to any 
extent desired. Simplicity in design, however, is the foundation on 
which the decorator must stand if he would have force and character in 
his work. If he would avoid what is called " ginger-bready " effects, 
he must learn to appreciate the dignity and beauty of simple forms, and 
be able to draw ornamental details, whose outlines are bold and full of 
certainty, not weakened by wavering lines as if the draughtsman had 
started out with the intention of making a good piece of ornament and 
then had weakened, in his endeavor, and had come to an insipid end. 
Elaboration in ornamental design is but a refining and enriching of 
a first construction, a carrying out into minute detail of what was in the 
first place a combination of simple outlines in which the spirit of the 
design was shown. There seems to be a natural tendency to over do 
these things, especially, among beginners in designing for decoration. 
They are not contented with what the simple shapes of leaves, scrolls, 
lines, etc., give them, but must go into a more fanciful arrangement of 
things and add a lot of insignificant filagree that will, in nine cases out 
ten, spoil the dignity and purpose of the ornament. Considering these 
remarks for his own good, the painter who would learn the principles 
and uses of ornament, will never try to get a half dozen different styles 
into one border, centre piece, or whatever else he may be designing, but 
will first fix upon the kind of effect he wants to produce, employing only 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 33 

a repetition of two or three simple, effective forms, and at last bring out 
his work with dignity and spirit. In the coloring of decorative orna- 

ment the painter should avoid getting colors that contrast too strongly 
with the ground on which they are painted, as such work has a crude 
and hard effect, and offensive to good taste. Of all things, avoid that 
stiff and miserable condition of coloring, called "Dutch." "Dutchi- 
ness " in color is not the result of combining brilliant tints in a piece of 
ornamental work, no more than the playing of a piece of music in a loud 
key produces discord. It is often a lack of knowledge and taste, in the 
painter, as to what constitutes harmony between the colors he is using, 
and in many more cases, the result of a careless manner of putting colors 
together. (See article on " Relative Contrasts, etc.") 



SPACING AND STENCILING. 



After your ceiling grounds are all "laid in "and you have decided 
on the different ornaments for the entire room you have in hand, the first 
thing in order, is to space off the bands on which you are going to stencil 
your borders, so that the figures will be the same distance apart, or 
nearly so, and, besides, come out the same at every corner whenever it is 
possible to have it so. Turning the corners handsomely makes your 
work look more artistic and gives a higher quality to the job so there 
will be no need to urge a man of taste to look well to his corners. To 

make matters as plain as we can in regard to this "spacing" business, 
we will use some of our own borders so that a reference to them will 
show more easily what we are trying to teach, than will any amount of 
explanation in words without something practical for example. We will 
suppose we have a room 15x18 feet square, or thereabouts, and 12 feet 
from floor to ceiling. Suppose we select for our ceiling the design 
No. 11. We want the broad border or decorated stile, 12 inches wide, 
between the gold lines. We will have another border, about 4 inches 
wide, between this broad band and the first moulding of the cornice — 
assuming there is a cornice in the room. For the ground of the small 
or 4 inch border, we will suppose we have " laid in " a band, 8 inches 
wide, of the gray color shown in the design No. 11. Now we will use 
border No. 26 stenciled on this band, the leaves dark brown, as shown, 
and the line (which is now buff) in gray, a shade darker than the 
ground, or about the same in contrast as the brown is to the gray 
ground, that is, a dark gray as dark as the brown. We will set this 

4 inch border 1% inches from the cornice moulding, with the leaves 
pointing towards the centre of the ceiling. Before putting the stencils 



34 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

on the ceiling, we will snap a line 1}£ inches wide along the cornice 
moulding, which line will be drawn in with the soft brown in the orna- 
ment of design No. 11. It may be drawn in after the border is stenciled 
just as well ; we only want the chalk-line on first to guide our border 
stencils on. On the stencil plate will be marked a line with a lead 
pencil or something similar, to be used as a guide, it will be placed an 
inch from the ornament line (the gray stencil) so that there will be an 
inch of space between our border and the 1% inch brown line that we 
have snapped off next to the cornice moulding, as the border we are 
going to put on is 4 inches wide, and the brown line and open space next 
to the cornice occupy 6)4 inches, we have 1% inches clear space on the 
side next to the broad 12 inch stile, which makes up the 8 inches of gray 
on which we put our 4 inch border. The next thing is to space off 
the distance between the alternate figures, which, in this case looks to be 
about 6 inches, allowing the line and leaf to occupy four inches in width. 
First, we will set the corners or angles so that they will be all alike. 
Let the plain gray line turn the corner, and space out from the corner 
(where the chalk-line crosses) the regular distance each way ; that is, the 
same distance that the leaves of the border are to stand apart, about 6 
inches, as we have said. After the marks are placed for the first 
figure on each side of every corner, take your compasses, or a stick, or 
whatever other measuring object you may wish to use for the purpose, 
and mark lightly along on the gray stile the same distance you have 
measured out from the corner, for your first figure, repeating the marks 
until you come to the next corner across the ceiling. If you come out 
more than one-half the amount of one space short of the mark, just 
make a slight extension of your distance on the stick you are spacing 
with (say one-quarter of an inch), and commence on the corner mark 
that you were measuring to, and mark back towards the further corner 
where you started from, and the quarter inch extension will soon use up 
the space that the first measuring run short of and bring your second 
marking into one of those you placed first ; thus, giving the proper points 
on which to stencil your figures. You will have no need of a rule nor 
an exact inch measure, as this, easiest of all methods of spacing, requires 
nothing more than stretching or contracting the original spaces, a little 
more or less, to make the ornament come out right on the ends or at the 
corners. If in spacing this border your first measurement, from one 
corner to the other, should come out an inch or two beyond the mark, all 
you have to do is to shorten the space on the stick a quarter of an inch 
or so and mark backward, the same as in the other case, until you come 
to one of your original marks, and you have the spaces all right for your 
stencil. If you are spacing out distances for a large and elaborate 
border requiring seven or eight different patterns, like No. 61 for 
instance, this same simple method which we have been using will do the 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 35 

business with the least trouble. It will work in all cases for all kinds 
of borders, large or small, simple or elaborate. 

In the case of No. 61, we will suppose we want to use it as a base 
border or dado for the room Ave are considering, and that we have a clear 
side of the wall, from corner to corner, without any door or other ob- 
struction in it. Taking the figure for the corner angle that has the 
least number of colors in it, which is the large red one, we place that 
figure in our corners all round. Now in measuring or spacing from 
the sharp angle in the corner to where the next figure of the same kind 
(the large red) is to be placed, we find by repeating the space along the 
wall, that the distance from one corner to the other will allow of putting 
in, let us say, eight of the large red figures, besides, which, in the last 
space, we have eight or nine inches to overcome or make up in order to 
bring the last figure the same distance from the corner one as we meas- 
ured off on the first end. The eight or nine inches is not space enough 
to get another figure in, so we will divide up the over-plus eight or nine 
inches into eight parts, which enlarges each space between the large red 
figure, an inch and one-eighth. Lengthening out the space on our 
measuring stick, an inch and one-eighth, and marking backward from 
the last corner angle to the first one, we will have all the marks placed in 
the right places for the first figure we are going to put on, and, of course, 
for all the others such as the brown, light yellow and dark blue that fit 
upon it. As for the second and more elaborate figure, we draw a 
plumb line half way between each two red figures, and set off the differ- 
ent patterns that belong to the second figure, one after the other, on this 
line, using it as a vertical guide with, of course, a horizontal line which 
we assume has been snapped off just above these figures as a guide on the 
level or horizontal. In stenciling any large border having several dif- 
ferent pieces in it, there should be two guide lines at right angles to each 
other the same as in the case before us. Often four or five lines are 
necessary for this purpose, so that the several patterns shall be placed 
square and perfect. The measuring off and drawing in of the differ- 
ent ruled lines of this border or dado, will, of course, need no explana- 
tion. As we left the ceiling to explain how to space off the large bor- 
der at the base of the wall, we will go back to it and finish it up. Since 
we have finished with the small 4 inch border (next to the cornice), we 
will snap off the spaces for the gold and other lines on the ceiling, keep- 
ing as near the same proportion as possible with the broad ornamented 
stile as is now shown on the design No. 11, remembering that we have 
laid out to have it a foot wide between the gold lines. Our widest 
ornament stencils, therefore, will be a little less than a foot in width, say 
11 inches. The corners are provided for by being squared, as is shown. 

To lay out the broad buff panels on which the gray lines and three- 
pointed ornaments are, we should first get the true centre of the ceiling 



36 AT WOOD & NICHOLS' 

panel. Assuming in this case that there is no plaster centre piece or 
raised ornament, we snap a line from one corner to the other, diagonally 
opposite, and also the same across the other two corners. Where the 
lines cross each other will be the centre of the ceiling. Next we 
measure out from the cornice moulding to the centre point that we have 
found in the ceiling, and mark off the same distance down at the further 
end of the panel, and snap a line through the centre point from the mark 
we have just made at the end of the panel. Snap the lines clear 
through the whole width and length of the ceiling from the mouldings 
of the cornice. This gives a centre line to measure from for the plac- 
ing of the four gray panels and the other lines and ornaments near them. 
After the proportionate distance of about 6 or 7 inches each way from 
these centre lines is marked off, as a space for the buff panels (those con- 
taining the gray lines and ornaments), we will put in the marks for the 
broad gray line with the red edge. This line, with the small gray and 
white lines next to it, serves as a border for the plain gray panel. It 
will be about 2 inches wide with a 2 inch space of buff between it and 
the other gray lines, on each side, as shown in the design (No. 11). 
Supposing now that all the lines on the ceiling are snapped off, we will 
go on with the rest of the figured work. 

As the ornament in the 12 inch stile is one of those that can not be 
lengthened -or shortened much without spoiling the shape of the figure, 
we commence our spacing on the centre of either end or side of the room, 
letting the pattern " run out" in its full size, both ways, until it comes to 
the lines snapped across the squared corners. ^Then, whatever part of 
the ornament comes against the line mentioned (at the corner square), 
must come against the line on the other side of the square to make it 
look even, in the same manner as shown in the design (No. 11). We 
start the second side of the stile ornament with the same figure that we 
left off with in stenciling the first side, and the figure we leave off with 
on the next corner, will have to be repeated on the commencement of the 
third side of the room, in the same manner as before. The next or 
third corner will be treated in the same way, but the fourth one will 
have to be spaced off, in order to make the last figure of all come in to 
the corner line the same on both sides. If the figures have to be 
stretched or extended a little to bring the pattern out right, or either 
contracted or drawn together a little on each figure, it will never show, 
provided, the stretching or contracting is skillfully done. It may be 
pulled out or made shorter at the place where the two largest figures 
come together (in the scroll form), and also at the narrowest part where 
the smaller ornament joins the larger. In stenciling this stile-border 
the pattern should be guided on both sides of the ground on which it is 
to be put, that is, on the chalk or charcoal lines. It is well enough 
also to snap a line through the centre as a guide for the first figure, 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 37 

which will be the brown color. Next, put in the gray figure, and when 
that is done all round the ceiling, stencil in the red figures. The 
square corners will not require to be explained as to the way they should 
be done, as they are plain enough in the design. Neither will the 
centre piece, except to make the suggestion that the ground, which is 
now red, will look well if put in with the gray of the panel, and the 
ornament color changed to the soft brown or the light buff of the ceiling, 
instead of gray as now shown. The remaining ornaments and lines 
will be put in as they appear on the design. This completes the ceiling, 
and so, as they come next in order, we will provide for the cove in the 
cornice and the frieze at the top of the wall. The cove-border No. 68 
will do very well for the cornice, using the blue ground and the buff 
leaves as they are, and changing the dark brown leaf to a shade darker 
blue than that in the ground of the cove. The mouldings of the 

cornice will be done in gray and buff tints like the ground colors of the 
ceiling. For a frieze-border, under the cornice on the wall, we will 
use No. 46. Both this and the leaves in the cove will be found easy to 
space, as they are open and simple patterns. The same directions as to 
spacing off the marks on which to stencil the different figures, will apply 
to these borders as well as to all the others. In the frieze-border, being 
a festoon pattern, a nicer effect can be produced by not putting either of 
the figures directly in the corner, but by placing the drop or tassel orna- 
ment on each side of the corner a few inches from the angle. This 
kind of ornament, we will say here, should never be placed on a ceiling 
or in a cove, as it has the appearance of objects hanging, and, therefore, 
is intended for use on perpendicular surfaces only. We make this 
observation because it is sometimes done by decorators who don't slop to 
think that it is contrary to nature to make drapery or festooning hang 
out horizontally on the surface of a ceiling, or accommodate itself to the 
concave of a cornice. Never forget that it is a violation of natural 
law to paint an imitation of anything in any place where it would be 
impossible to place the real object. 

To complete the decoration of the room we have been considering, 
we will take the greenish gray No. 80 for the wall, and as a finish above 
the dado and below the frieze, put on the border ornament No. 30, in 
shades of the wall color, lighter and darker as it now shows. As to 
spacing of fresco borders in general, the painter directing the work, 
should thoroughly understand this simple principle that we have given — 
the principle of adding to or taking from his distances in spacing so as 
to make them come out right on the ends, and be the same distance apart 
from centre to centre, in appearance, at least, if not in fact. If the 
figures in a border look to be about the same distance apart and are not 
crowded or spread apart too far, the work will look all right and will 
never need to be absolutely perfect in this particular. 



38 ATWOOD & NICHOLS 1 

We would strongly recommend to every painter who is not well 
practiced in decorative work, to stencil in his corners on the wall or some 
other handy place before attempting to put them on the ceiling, and, in 
fact, to put in a few figures on each side of the corner in the real colors 
he is going to finish with, so he can see just how his stencils and brushes 
work, and also find out whether his colors are all right or not, before 
going ahead with his more particular work. It will be found much 
easier, to work on a wall with stencils, especially large ones, than it is on 
a ceiling, and, therefore, we would again urge those not proficient in the 
business, to do all their experimenting on the wall or some other conven- 
ient surface. All borders and other stenciled ornaments, that are to go 
on ceilings, can be practiced with in this way, so that any mistakes made 
there (on the wall) can be better avoided when the real work is being 
carried on. Of course, if you want to see just how your job will 

look when finished, you will "lay in " a good large piece of each of the 
colors of your ceiling grounds, and stencil in all the patterns with the 
corners turned and finished as you want them on the ceiling. A little 
practice at these things will teach you the value of the above suggestions. 
Almost every form of scroll, vine or other running border, can be sten- 
ciled on without regard to spacing, as it makes little difference in the 
appearance of the ornament, whether it is begun and ended with any 
particular figure or not, but the "set figure" borders should be nicely 
spaced off so they will look to be evenly balanced. The same figure 
should appear at each end of the band you are spacing out, and at every 
corner or square angle where the pattern turns and continues. There 
are places here and there, of course, when an absolute rule cannot be fol- 
lowed in these things, but it is well to use a symmetrical way of working 
and not leave any carelessly done work. Those among our borders and 
dadoes which may be called running or free-hand patterns, not needing 
particular spacing, are Nos. 28, 32, 38, 40, 44, 45, 47, 48, 58. All the 
others are set figures and must be spaced oft' so the pattern will always 
come out right at the ends. When stenciling frieze-borders or dadoes 
on walls where there are different widths of surface between door and 
window casings, it will be found well enough to place one of the figures 
of your border (if you are using_a set patiern) exactly in the centre, 
between the two casings, and work to either side, which will bring the 
figure out the same on both ends. This rule will apply to panels and 
stiles on ceilings where mouldings or painted lines intersect in such a 
manner as to allow the border to be run out from a centre to each end 
of the space and have an even appearance all round. To conclude 
these observations on spacing and stenciling, we will say that ceiling 
borders, and those forming -panels on walls, are often run out from one 
corner to the other without spacing, and the corners turned by a mitre 
of whatever figure of the border happens to run into the corner. "We 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK 39 

would not. advise the use of this method, however, as it is a rather care- 
less way of working and will not do at all for general practice. Cor- 
ners turned in this way are likely to have the appearance of paper-hang- 
ings, because the paper borders are always brought together in this style 
at the corners, except where a sqfuare panel or block is placed on the angle 
for the border to finish against. 



Frescoing "by the Old and New Methods. 



Fresco painting in its true sense, means the painting of decorative 
effects in water colors, such as pictures and ornamental designs on plas- 
tered surfaces. The colors are applied to the plaster while it is still 
wet, so that the work of the painter will sink into and become a part of 
the ground on which it is laid. The process is very much the same as 
painting with water colors on paper. It was the method in use by the 
early decorators of church and palace interiors, and was first practiced 
by the Italian artists, among whose celebrated names are those of 
Michael Angelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. We do little or no 
work in this way now-a-days and the method, it may be said, is well- 
nigh abandoned. In point of durability the original manner of painting 
in fresco excels every other style of water color work, as it is not left 
on the outside but on the inside of the plaster surface. The artist gen- 
erally plastered the finishing coat on the wall himself, putting on only as 
much surface as he could cover with finished painting in a day, or if he 
had got on too large a piece of wall for a day's work, he kept it wet over 
night by applying wet blankets or something similar to the surface, and 
in this way proceeded until the design was completed. All the draw- 
ings for the work were made on paper-and transferred to the wall in sec- 
tions as they were wanted, in about the same way as we do now when 
carrying out fresco work by the new method. We don't imagine any 
of our patrons will want to practice this kind of frescoing, and, there- 
fore, we will not give minute directions for doing it. We have never 
seen a job of real frescoing in this country, but have been told that there 
is one or two examples " down East." The mel-hod in use at the 
present time is extensively practiced and doubtless always will be on 
account of its cheapness as compared with the original style of fresco- 
ing, and further, because of the purity and brilliancy it is capable of 
showing when its color harmonies are intelligently made use of. 

This new kind of decoration, if we may be allowed the term, is a 
great deal easier to do than the old. It costs. far less, and, besides that? 
it looks better — being much nicer and more solid, especially on surfaces 



40 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

that are close to the eye, such as walls and ceilings in private houses. 
It is perhaps safe to say that ninety-eight per cent, of all the water color 
fresco work done in the world to-day is produced in solid surface colors 
the same as we use on all our work, and just the same in every way as we 
make use of in carrying out our Combination Designs. The mixing 
material for binding or holding the colors to the surface in this new 
method, is glue boiled in water and mixed into the colors, while in the 
original fresco, the colors were thinned with lime-water, or as some call 
it, " milk-of-lime." Occasionally there is a job of frescoing done by 
using lime, or white-wash, if you like, for a mixing medium with min- 
eral or earth colors, such as ochres, siennas, umbers, etc., on dry plaster, 
but as it is onlj' practiced by those who want to economize to no advan- 
tage, we will avoid a description of how to do it. We will add, however, 
that we have never seen this lime work used except in a church or other 
large interior where it could be kept out of reach. The reason why 

this kind of frescoing is not popular is, because it is nothing but " colored 
white-wash," if you will accept the term. Every painter knows that 
a ceiling or wall once white-washed can never again be made first-class, 
and that it must always be white-washed when done over. It will be 
understood, therefore, that lime frescoing is ruinous to the plastering on 
which it is done. It is likely to peel or flake off after a little while in 
the same way that common white-wash does, yet it cannot be washed off 
with sponge and water, nor either with anything else, in a practical man- 
ner, the same as calcimine or fresco colors can. Water color frescoing 
such as is generally done, is easily washed off when the work 
is to be renewed, leaving the plastering as good as it was when originally 
finished. 



=? 



Wall Painting in Oil and Flat Colors. 



The preparation of a wall or ceiling that is to be painted in oil or 
flat finish, is about the same in the washing off of dirt and stopping up 
of cracks, etc., as we have recommended for water color work, only it 
should be smoothed up a little with a medium-fine sand-paper before the 
first or priming coat is put on. All the spots or streaks of new plaster 
that have been put in, should be coated over with some quick-drying 
stuff to "kill" the suction and prevent the paint of your priming coat 
from " striking in " too much. If you have time enough allowed you 
to do the job properly, the best thing you can do is to give the new 
plastered spots a coat of linseed oil and japan, or other strong dryer, 
about half and half, into which a little of your priming color has been 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 41 

mixed. Some of the spots or cracks may require two coats of this 
stuff. You can tell in a few minutes whether they will or not, accord- 
ing to how they dry out. If any of them dries dead-flat it proves that 
there is a good deal of suction in them, and so you will go over them 
again with your oil and japan. Japan alone, or with a little lead in it, 
is good for this purpose when you can not wait for oil to dry and want 
to go on at once with the work. It used to be the custom, and doubt- 
less is yet with some painters, to prime the wall all over first, and fix up 
the cracks, etc., before the second coat. We have found it more eco- 
nomical to get the wall in as good a condition as possible by stopping the 
suction of all spots and cracks before priming. A coat of paint can be 
saved by it and that is something, and more than something, we will 
remark, on a large job — time and material considered. If you ' ; touch 
up" the mended places on your wall in the manner we describe before 
priming, you will find fewer dead spots or streaks in your surface when 
the priming coat has dried out. When your first coat is hard enough 
to work on, look it all over carefully and stop up all the pin holes, etc., 
with ordinary putty, after which, if you want to make a ; 'bang up" job 
of it, sand-paper the surface lightly to remove all roughness, but don't 
scratch it by allowing the corners of your sand-paper to rub against the 
wall. No. %, sand-paper is coarse enough for this purpose when you 
are painting on a very smooth hard-finish plaster. Sand finish plaster- 
ing that is a little rough in itself, will not need sand-papering at all. 

Never use shellac or any kind of hard-drying varnish for (i touching 
up" walls that are going to be painted, as it will always shine through 
your finished work in glossy spots after a week or so, and therefore spoil 
the job. We have seen a good many handsome jobs of "flatting" 
ruined in just this way, and we have known of cases wherein the master 
painter had to do his work all over again at his own expense through 
the fault of blundering or ignorant workman. In mixing priming 
paint for walls it is better not to have it thinned entirely with oil but 
with a little turpentine added, say about a pint and a half to the 
gallon. In good drying weather, or in houses where the air is not 
damp, wall painting may be done quickly, that is, three or four coats in 
three or four days, or in other words, a coat each day until finished. A 
better job can be made by putting on the different coats right along, one 
day after another, than if the paint were allowed to harden several days 
between coats. The reason for this is that the freshly applied coat 
adheres better to the partially hardened one underneath, making a solid 
job and covering better. The two or three last coats are what we refer 
to in this case. After the priming of a wall or ceiling is done, and the 
puttying up completed, the general practice is to give it a coat of glue- 
size (that is, on contract work) to save an extra coat of paint. It is not 
as good tor the wall, of course, but is is cheaper, " you know." This 



42 AT WOOD & NICHOLS' 

glue-size answers very well, and is made by adding about one-quarter of 
a pound of ordinary calcimine glue to a gallon of water, or even less 
glue when the wall has little suction. You may go on with the second 
coat of paint when the glue-size is dry, which will be in fifteen or 
twenty minutes. The second coat of paint should have more oil than 
the first coat, so that it will dry with an even gloss all over to flat on for 
the last painting. The last, or flatting coat, should have no oil in it at all, 
other than what there is in the lead and staining colors, but should be 
mixed in turpentine with a little dryer. The last two coats must be 
stippled in order to make a good job. This amount of work, three 
coats of paint and a coat of size, is considered to be about the least that 
walls, which are to be left plain, can be finished with. It was the 
custom a few years ago, and is still "whenever you can get paid for it, to 
paint walls from five to seven coats, or even more, but we consider that 
five coats will make as good a job on a wall as seven will when put on 
by men who know how to handle color. 



Painting on Damp Walls. 



If you have a wall that is damp from any cause and you can not 
wait a long time to let it dry before painting, the following process will 
will be found useful We have discovered nothing better for the pur- 
pose and so we recommend it : Dissolve a pound of powdered alum in 
half a gallon of warm turpentine and apply it to the wall. Next, dis- 
solve three pounds of litharge in a gallon of hot linseed oil. Go over 
the wall with this after the turpentine and alum is set. Put it on as 
near boiling hot as you can, and when it is dry, which will be in from 
three to twelve hours, according to the condition of the wall, you can 
paint your ground to a finish. Dampness will not penetrate this 
priming. 



STIPPLING. 



We have referred to stippling in the painting of walls and ceilings, 
and ii would be fair to presume that every painter know r s what it means, 
but as there may be some who have never made use of the process of 
stippling in the painting of walls, a word of explanation will not be out 
of place. Stippling is done with a brush similar in shape to a clothes 
brush only larger, and with bristles about 2>% inches long. It is used 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 43 

for taking the brush marks out of the paint just after it is spread on the 
wall and before it has had time to set. The stippler is operated by 
striking the whole flat surface, formed by the ends of the bristles, rapidly 
but rather gently against the fresh-painted surface, until the marks made 
by the paint brush have disappeared. The stippler makes a fine peb- 
bled surface all over the wall and saves you the trouble of " laying off" 
your paint in that careful manner that you would have to employ with- 
out it. No straight " laying off" is required where the stippler is used, 
only spread your paint evenly in every direction, as all brush marks will 
be taken out by the stippler which must be worked right along after the 
paint brush. There should be a man to stipple after every painter on 
a large wall if you want to get along well. 

The stippling brush should be washed out about twice or three times 
in doing the wall of an ordinary room, a parlor or dining-room for in- 
stance. The reason for this washing out of the stippler is fouud in the 
clogging up of the brush with paint, especially in " flat " or quick drying 
color. Have some benzine or turpentine in a pot or pail large enough 
to dip the whole flat surface of the stippler into, and when you get one 
side of the wall stippled, rinse or wash out your stippler and shake out 
the turpentine or benzine as dry as you can and go ahead with the next 
side of the room. You will, by this means, have a good clean stippler 
to work with on every side. In stippling a ceiling or any other surface 
where you are using several different colors for grounds, the stippler will 
have to be washed out whenever a change is made fiom one color to 
another. Stippling brushes should be washed out well with warm 
water and soap whenever they are to be laid by for more than a day, for 
the bristles get stiffened with the dryers in the paint if left long without 
washing. If you are going to use them right along, one day after 
another, you can suspend them in a few inches deep of benzine or tur- 
pentine, and shake them out for use the next day. Never let the ends 
of the bristles rest oh the bottom of the pot or pan in which you leave 
your stippler over night or any other considerable length of time, as the 
weight of the wooden back on the brush presses the points of the bristles 
over and spoils the brush for nice work forever afterward. Therefore, 
hang your stippler into the benzine, turpentine, water, or whatever else 
you leave it in, and don't let the bristles touch anything. 



44 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

STIPPLING WOOD- WORK. 



In the painting of wood-work it is allowable to stipple the flat or 
plain surfaces, such as stiles and panels. The mouldings are painted 
by "laying off in the ordinary way. Stippled wood-work looks very 
nice, presenting, when done well, an even morocco-finish surface. You 
can do a good job in this way without much sand-papering (none at all 
in most cases), and to a man who can not do a first-class job of straight 
"laying off" on a door, it comes in very handy indeed, as almost any- 
body can handle a stippler well after an hour's practice. The right 
way to stipple any surface is to begin at one end, if on a panel or stile, 
and gradually go over it, completing the stippling as you go along and 
not leaving any slovenly or careless work that you will have to come back 
over. Don't skip around in spots from one place to another, if you do 
your work will look just exactly as you did it — slovenly and bad. In 
working the stippler over flat or dead color, be careful not to touch 
any part of your stippling the second time if it has become in the least 
set, for if you do it will show as a spot deader than the rest in certain 
lights. The reason for this is, that the stippler in striking the partially 
dried surface makes it rougher than the rest, and so when it is looked at 
side-ways, or crosswise, if you like, will appear lighter or darker accord- 
ing to the direction in which the light strikes it. You will have no 
trouble in doing a good job of stippling if you work carefully. It may be 
well enough to give attention now and then to the old adage which says 
"Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well." As a supple- 
ment to this we would suggest, that whenever you start in to learn some- 
thing in particular, make up your mind to learn the whole of it, or, at 
least enough of it to pay you for the trouble of getting it. Don't give 
any kind of work a " lick and a promise," but do it up as well as you are 
able to, or let it alone altogether. It is better to be able to do some 
particular kind of work in a masterly manner, than it is to be a second- 
class workman in half a dozen different branches. 



Rough Stipple on Walls and Ceilings. 



It is considered very stylish and effective to have wall and ceiling 
surfaces, either wholly or in part, finished in what is called by painters, 
"rough stipple," or either in the ornamental way of "combing." A 
combination of the two is generally used for the sake of variety. 
Rough-stuff or thick paint, such as is used for the purpose, is made of a 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK 45 

mixture of white lead, plaster Paris and zinc white, mixed in about equal 
parts of oil and turpentine, and with a good quantity of japan or other 
dryer to make it set well, so that it will not sag or fall when put on a 
perpendicular surface. It must be used as thick as a brush will put it 
on, or even as thick as plasterers' putty for very rough surfaces, and 
spread on with a trowel. Whiting and 'white lead in about equal parts, 
with about one-quarter as much plaster Paris as there is of the other 
two together, broken up with the same thinners as in the first case, is 
also very good. The whiting part of it may be common putty, which 
is always Well ground and will mix well. If whiting is used it must 
be run through a fine sieve to break up the lumps. For another rough- 
stuff mixture, use putty or whiting with one-quarter plaster Paris, or the 
same quantity of putty, with about one-eighth zinc white, mixed with 
the same thinners as before. It does not matter much what you make 
your rough-stuff of, if it can be stippled or combed and remain as the 
hand leaves it until dry. Of course, the mixture made with putty and 
plaster is cheaper than that composed of lead and zinc, but the latter is 
much the nicer to work, especially in combing. The cheaper material 

will be found to work well enough if you add a small quantity of lead 
and zinc, or add zinc alone for the parts that are to be combed. The 
zinc makes it work " short," that is, does not allow the ridges left by the 
comb to fall or run together while it is drying. The zinc or lead will 
hardly be needed for the rough stippled parts, where there is to be no 
combing, if there are enough dryers in it to make it "stand up" well 
and not sag. 



Rough Stippling and Combing. 



A nice arrangement of rough work for a room, say a parlor or dining 
room, is to leave the centre part of the ceiling plain, that is, without 
rough stippling or combing. Next, " lay in " a band or stile of rough- 
stuff about two feet wide, measuring outward from the cornice. Have 
the rough-stuff as thick as you can comfortably work it with a brush. 
When the band is " laid in" on one side or end of the ceiling, go over it 
with your-stippler so as to make a pebbled looking ground. Then take 
a coarse steel graining comb and draw it diagonally across the band of 
rough-stuff with a wavy motion and with pressure enough to comb out 
the rough-stuff clear to the ground of the ceiling, wipe off the comb 
every sweep you make. Proceed in this way until you have gone all 
round the room with the combing. Let the work dry a day or two 
before doing anv other work over it. If vou want to make your band 



46 AT WOOD & NICHOLS' 

or stile more ornamental and richer, you can do the combing through 
the centre only, and of any width you like — say about ten or twelve 
inches. Draw some straight lines an inch or so in width, with a flat 
stick or a putty knife, on each side of the combed band, and another line 
or two of different widths, on the outer edges of the stile next to the 
cornice and next to the ceiling panel, to make a better finish. You can 
leave a band of three inches or so in width on each side of the centre 
band, on which you can make circles by holding one corner of the comb 
against the ceiling and sweeping the rest of the teeth around so as to 
comb out a circle. You can comb out the circles close together, if you 
like, so the band when done will look like shell work or a combination of 
circles over-lapping each other. You can also comb these grounds to 
look like watered ribbon, or even the grain of wood, and the work will 
look rich and handsome. Combing is entirely fanciful and may be 
done in whatever forms the artist may select, provided he makes a good 
looking job of it and puts in some variety. 



Working the Comb on a Frieze. 



For a frieze on the wall, put in the ground with your rough-stuff the 
same as on the ceiling, and do as much of the combing up as you can 
before it sets ; stipple the ground to a rough surface and go on with the 
combing. For this job you might have a coarser comb cut out of a 
piece of hard leather (a leather graining comb is the best), with short 
teeth cut in about one-quarter of an inch deep, and about the same in 
width, clear across the comb. Now proceed to comb the ground of the 
frieze into a basket or checker pattern, by drawing the comb (the steel 
one) straight down from the top of the frieze, abouc as far as the comb 
is wide (which is generally from three to four inches), then, underneath 
the first comb mark and close to it, do the same as before, only in a hori- 
zontal direction instead of perpendicular — under this again the same up 
and down comb mark you did first, and under that again the horizontal 
mark. These four markings will probably cover the width of your 
frieze. Proceed in the same manner for the next stretch, and so on 
until you have combed the whole frieze with the basket pattern. Each 
stroke is, of course, just the width of the comb you are using as before 
mentioned. You must be careful about this if you want a good look- 
ing job. You can vary the basket pattern by making the first strokes 
diagonal and continuing in that way until the whole is done. This 

combing on a '-bias " or slanting, as some call it, looks better than the 
straight way in almost any light. After you have combed the frieze 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK 47 

with the fine work, and before the rough-stuff is thoroughly set, you can 
put in some circles and half circles about afoot apart along the centre to 
take the plainness out of it. Do these markings with the coarse 
leather comb in the same manner as that recommended above for the 
steel comb circles. The half circles are made by placing one corner of 
the leather comb on the outer edge of the circle first made, and sweeping 
it round so that it will begin against the circle and finish against it, or in 
other words, radiate to intersections on both sides with a point on the 
circumference of the first circle as a centre. 



Combing, Etc., on Walls. 



After your combing or figured work is finished on the frieze and 
ceiling, proceed to cover the wall with your thick stuff, that is, if you 
want it rough or stippled. Lay in four or five square yards at a time 
and stipple it all over so it will have a pebbled or rough appearance. 
If you want to make your wall surface more ornamental than this plain 
stippling, comb a pattern into it with the steel eomb, and sweep it in 
curved lines in any way you like, only be careful not to cross your mark- 
ings over one another, as it spoils the clean effect of the combing. Be- 
gin at the top and work downward. For a large room you can, of 
course, use broader markings or larger patterns than an ordinary sized 
room would require. Fan shaped combings done in clear sweeps, or 
in wavy mo! ions overlapping one another like fish scales, makes a very 
handsome pattern to cover a large surface with, as does also any pattern 
having the character of weaving or interlacing. The taste and ingenu- 
ity of the workman will naturally produce a great variety of unique and 
appropriate patterns and conceits for this kind of work, so there will be 
no need for us to enlarge upon that particular further than to convey a 
good idea of what the work is capable of in point of effect. A border 
at the bottom, some 12 inches wide, combed in a different pattern from 
that on the body of the wall, and with ruled lines scraped out with a 
fiat stick of any desired width, will have a more decorative effect than if 
left plain, and for the little additional expense it requires, will amply 
pay in the improved appearance of the wall for the trouble of doing it. 
A fringe-border under the frieze will also be effective and make the job 
look more complete. Some of our small borders will suggest patterns 
that can be marked into the combing with different shaped sticks, such 
as 'wooden modeling tools used by sculptors in making clay figures. 
The bowl end of a tea-spoon and also the tip of the handle when it is 
round or smooth, is a very good thing to work with, and even the fingers 
will produce a good variety of ornaments in the way of leaves, vines, 
scrolls, etc. 



48 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

Stamping and Raised Stenciling. 



Another fine effect in rough work is produced by stamping designs 
into the rough-stuff after it is laid on, and while it is yet soft enough to 
take the impression nicely. A mould or pattern, either sunk or in 
relief, is pressed against the surface you are ornamenting hard enough to 
squeeze the material into your mould. When the mould is removed 
the pattern will appear raised or sunken according to the condition of 
the mould that produced if. If the mould has a raised pattern on it, 
the impression on the wall will be sunken. If the pattern is sunken or 
cut into the mould, it will leave a raised ornament on the wall. Pat- 
terns or dies for this purposes may be made of brimstone or sulphur, and 
can be had ot any worker in plaster of Paris. Almost any ornamental 
figure that is not too deep in the moulding or too high in relief, will 
answer for the purpose. You have only to shellac or paint the mould 
for use, and with care it will last a long time. There are cases now 
and then where a fine job is wanted in this kind of work, requiring 
special designs and patterns for every detail, and in such cases a wood- 
carver will be of service to cut the moulds from your original designs. 
There is another good effect in rough work that we have made consider- 
able use of, especially in friezes and borders, and also for scattered orna- 
ments over ceilings and walls. It is brought out by making a stencil 
of the ornament you want to put on in heavy pasteboard. The stencil 
is well shellaced or painted, and after being allowed to dry is placed on 
the wall in the proper position, and the open or cut through parts filled 
up level with a trowel. The stencil is then pulled off and the raised 
ornament remains. The ornament can be raised as high as half an 
inch or even more, according to the thickness of your stencil. The 
stencil can be made as thick as you want it by gluing a number of cut 
patterns together. The edges of your stencil pattern can then be 

trimmed smooth with a sharp knife, or smoothed up with a file. A 
quarter of an inch, however, is about the usual thickness for this kind of 
raised work. The surface of the ornament can be made rough by stippl- 
ing, or left smooth with the trowel before pulling off the stencil, or it 
can be lined or scored with the comb, or treated with any other sort of 
variegation that the fancy of the workman may suggest. For this 

kind of stenciling the same rough-stuff used in stippling and combing 
may be used, as may also stuff mixed up in glue instead of oil, turpen- 
tine, etc., only the surface on which the glued compound is put, must be 
sized with glue-size, as it would be likely to fall off after a while if ap- 
plied upon an oil painted or varnished ground. 



PRACTICAL ITAND-BOOK. 49 

Painting 1 over Rough-Stuff. 



It will doubtless be understood that any plaslered surface on which 
rough-stuff is to be put, must be primed o.' painted, at least one coat, to 
kill the suction, so that the rough work will stay on. Old painted 
walls that are to be done over with this rough finish should have a coat 
of paint also to insure the new work sticking. Cracks and small holes 
will not need to be mended, as they will all fill up with the composition. 
After the rough stippling is all done and dry, it can be painted any color 
required. It always looks richer painted in a bright, oil gloss, than in 
flat colors. In the case of a ceiling where gilding is to be done on the 
rough work, or in connection with it, both flat and gloss finish may be 
used.. Two coats of paint is generally sufficient to cover over this 
work. The combed and stippled bands look very well when painted in 
one plain color, but if picked out in different shades will, of course, pre- 
sent a more decorative effect. A raised ornament, made with a stencil 
as we have described, and placed on a plain ground that has been painted 
with a bright gloss, looks very rich and full of life— the same in effect as 
a sanded gold figure looks on a ground of smooth, plain gilding. This 
rough work, when painted and finished up in an artistic manner, cannot 
be surpassed for house decoration by any other style of painting that 
we know of. 



Combing and Rough Stippling in Water Color. 



This rough work can also be done in water color, and as it dries 
rapidly, it can be finished up at once without waiting two or three days 
as we have to do in the case of oil work. The composition is made 
with whiting, plaster of Paris, glue and water. Mix up the whiting 
and glue in the same manner that calcimine is mixed ready to put on the 
wall, then add the plaster slowly and stir it in well until it becomes as 
heavy as you can put it on and spread it with a brush. Put in any 
color or tint you wish the same as you would in calcimine or fresco color. 
Spread only as much on the wall as you can comb up before it sets (four 
or five square feet for example). You may stop it from drying too 
fast by wetting it with water. If, in the combing, you find it works 
too short or crumbles, put in some more glue. After the work is dry 
it may be tinted in water color in any way required, or finished up in 
bronzes for a richer effect. Rosettes or small leaf ornaments, cast in 
this material or in plaster of Paris, stuck on among the scrolling or 



50 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

combed work, either singly 01 in odd groups, have a pleasing and decor- 
ative effect when finished in bronzes or gold-leaf, especially on a ceiling. 
Stick them with white lead on oil grounds and with plaster of Paris on 
water color grounds. In working this distemper rough-stuff, you can 
use coarse steel combs, or while it remains soft enough, the leather ones 
will do for coarser markings. Combs made of sheet gutta-percha or 
hard-wood, are also serviceable for use in any kind of composition. 
You can make them yourself by cutting with a pocket knife or a small 
flat file, leaving the teeth about a quarter of an inch long, so that they 
will reach down through the rough-stuff and allow the comb to pass 
clear without clogging up. The teeth must be square across on the 
ends the same as those in a steel graining comb. We would advise 
those who have never done this combed work, to practice making 
samples to show their customers. In this way they will become fami- 
liar with the working of it, and will know how to use it to their own 
advantage. 



Colors Contained in the Different Designs as Per 

Numbers. 



We have arranged the following as a sort of reference table to help 
the painter in selecting the different colors required to carry out any 
combination he may want to make use of. The numbers tell at once 
what tints there are in every plate, and their names, by numbers, are 
found on every package of mixed color. 
Ceiling No. 1 has colors Nos, 1-2-3-7-10. 

" " 2 " " 2-5-7-14. 

" " 3 " " 11-12-13. 

" " 4 " « 1-2-3-8 and 11 mixed. 

" " 5 " " 8-11-12-13. 

" " 6 " " 2-8-9-14-15. 

" " 7 " " 2-8-11-12. 

" "8 " " 3-2-11-12. 

" " 9 " " 3-8-11-12. 

" " 10 ¥ : " 8-9-11-12-13-15. 

" " 11 " " 3-4-5-10-11-13. 

" " 12 " " 2-8-9-11-12-13. 

The two ceilings belonging to the tile patterns are numbered !N"os. 
65 and 66, have colors Nos. 4-5-12-15-21-23. 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 51 

The colors in the centre pieces are as follows. 
No. 13 has colors Nos. 11-12-14-20. 
5-8-12-13-14. 
9-13-14. 
2-8-12-14. 
8-11-12-22. 
8-12-14-22. 
8-12-14. 
2-8-11-12-13. 
8-9-11 and 12 mixed, IS. 
11-12-13-14. 
3-8-7-11-12-14-15. 
2-3-8-5-11-14. 
4-5-14-15-21. 
3-4-5-12-15-21-23. 

The gold showu in the ceilings and centre pieces is not counted as a 
color. It may be used anywhere to lighten the effect, or substituted 
for any color, as gold will harmonize with anything. 
The colors in the friezes and borders are as follows : 
Border No. 25 has colors No. 5-12-15. 



« 14 


a 


" 


" 15 


u 


a 


" 16 


a 


a 


" 17 


•'• 


a 


" 18 


it 


tt 


" 19 


a 


a 


•'< 20 


.< 


u 


" 21 


it 


u 


" 22 


a 


,t 


" 23 


a 


a 


" 24 


a 


a 


" 77 


a 


n 


" 78 


tt 


a 



a 


26 


a 


a 


2-3-14-21. 


a 


27 


it 


a 


8-11-12. 


a 


28 


a 


tt 


1-12. 


n 


29 


a 


tt 


7-9. 


it 


30 


a 


tt 


8-9. 


a 


31 


tt 


a 


8, 9 and 11 mixed. 


it 


32 


a 


a 


20-22. 


tt 


33 


tt 


a 


5-12-20. 


it 


34 


tt 


tt 


8-21-20. 


tt 


35 


a 


a 


5-7-8 in place of white, 


it 


36 


a 


a 


4-4 and 12 mixed. 


it 


37 


a 


a 


7-9-12-14. 


it 


38 


a 


a 


8-9-11-13-14. 


a 


39 


.< 


t( 


2-3-8-11-12-14. 


it 


40 


it 


a 


2-3-8-12. 


it 


41 


a 


a 


8-10-14-15. 


tt 


42 


a 


u 


3-5-9 and 12 mixed. 


a 


43 


a 


tt 


3-12-21. 


tt 


44 


a 


tt 


8-15-20-21. 


tt 


45 


a 


a 


7-8-14-22. 


tt 


46 


a 


tt 


7-8-U-12-14-15-20. 


a 


47 


a 


a 


3-5-8-9-21. 


tt 


48 


t. 


tt 


7-8-11-14-15-16-20. 


a 


49 


tt 


it 


7-14. 



52 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

Border No 50 has colors No 7-8-9-12-13-14. 

" 51 « " 8-9-13-9 and 12 mixed. 

The two tile friezes or borders, Nos. 69 and 70, have colors Nos. 
4-12-21-23. 

The cove border No. 67 has colors Nos. 2-15-19-21. 

" 68 " " 12-15-21. 

The dadoes or bases have the following colors : 
No. 52 has colors No. 3-5-7-14-15 and English vermillion. 
" 53 " " 3-8-9-12-14-15 

"54 " " 3-7-8-12-14. 

" 55 " " 8-12-13-14-15-16. 

" 56 " " 7-12-14-15-16-17. 

" 57 " " 2-3-7-8-12-14-15. 

" 58 " " 3-7-8-12-13-16-19. 

" 59 " " 8-12-14-15-18. 

" 60 " " 2-9-11-12-14-17. 

" 61 * " 5-8-9-11-12-14-15-16. 

" 62 " " 3-7-8-9-14. 

" 63 " « 2-3-7-8-12-14. 

" 64 " " 4-5-7-8-20-12 and 17 mixed. 

The two tile dados or bases have the following colors : 
No. 75 has colors Nos. 4-12-21. 
" 76 " " 4-5-12-15-21-23. 

The four tile patterns for walls, floors, or any other place where tile 
would be used, are number from 71 to 74 inclusive and contain colors as 
follows : 

No. 71 has colors Nos. 5-8-15-21-23. 
" 72 " " 4-5-12-15-21-23. 

" 73 " " 8-5-11-15-21-23. 

" 74 " " 15-4-12-21-23. 

The wall colors, or oil painted samples, are additional to those in the 
ceilings, borders, centre pieces, etc., making, with them, 35 colors in all. 
These last twelve colors will be put up in water for frescoing as well as 
in oil, or encaustic for flatting walls, ceilings and wood work as before 
explained. These encaustic colors will cover solid and handsomely 
with only one coat, over old painted work in almost every case. They 
will come out more solid and better if the ground is something near the 
tint that is being used for flatting. The lighter colors cover finely over 
white or any light color, but the darker and medium shades should be 
laid over dark colors. "White is the hardest ground to cover solid with 
one coat of auy color that is a shade or two darker. Light colors 
cover best over dark ones. 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 53 

Light Contrasts for Parti-Color Painting. 



The following combinations for parti-color painting, are made np 
from the various colors found in our ceilings, and are more delicate in 
contrast, generally, and also lighter than the colors in the preceding 
combinations which are made up from our wall tints. There are 

23 different colors in the lithographed plates taken altogether, ceilings, 
centre pieces, friezes, borders, dadoes and tile patterns. They are num- 
bered from 1 to 23 inclusive. All the colors shown in the designs are 
put up for water color fresco work, in different sized packages, for use in 
carrying out the several patterns on walls and ceilings. They are 
matched as nearly as possible to the different shades they represent, and 
are named on the packages by numbers so that any combination of colors, 
a person may select, can be duplicated at any time by sending the num- 
bers. The same 23 shades are put up in encaustic, flat colors for paint- 
ing walls and ceilings (in oil), so the work done with them will stand 
washing and be very durable. The flat colors are made of the same 
material that our wall samples are painted with; the pebbled or rough 
surface being produced by stippling. They show just how a wall or 
other surface would look painted and stippled in our Decorative En- 
caustic Colors. 

These combinations for parti-colors are mostly in sets of three, but 
we have arranged some others containing four or five colors so that 
when required, in rooms where no figured or ornamental decoration is 
wanted, they will make good harmonies for plain painting. A refer- 
ence to the colored plates or designs will always give an idea of how the 
following arrangements of colors would look. They are, in most cases, 
selected to harmonize with some particular ceiling, but may be used in 
rooms where there are plain walls requiring only wood-work painting 
and no decoration, or in apartments where the walls and ceilings are 
papered, and the ceiling, cornice and wood- work are to be finished in 
plain tints, either in oil or water colors, or both. We have not at- 
tempted to arrange any great number of combinations for this parti- 
color painting, but the few we suggest will suffice to show that the 23 
colors contained in our design plates, are capable of being put to a greater 
variety of changes than any painter will ever be likely to need in the 
course of an ordinary life-time. 

The vast number of new shades that can easily be made by inter- 
mixing the colors, will be found equal to most requirements. It will 
be a matter of frequent occurrence, no doubt, to have to match your 
colors to some peculiar tint or effect here and there, but with these 23 



54 ATWOOD & NICHOLS' 

shades and the exercise of a little taste, there are few neutral colors that 
can not be matched or harmonized with them. The combinations, as 
we have arranged them, are not arbitrary any more than our arrange- 
ment of designs for decoration, but we will say that the most of them 
will look very well when put together as we have suggested. The 
panel color is placed first, and is the darkest of the three in the following 
"layouts;" the stile is the second number; the moulding color the last, 
and also the lightest tint of the three. There are generally but three 
colors in parti-color wood-work, and so we make combinations of three. 
We take our ceiling shades for these combinations, and they are there- 
fore light and delicate, but not so faint in contrast of color as to appear 
weak. Those ceilings with which the different arrangements harmon- 
ize the best, are specified by their respective numbers as follows : 

Harmonizes 
Panel Stile Moulding 
Combination No. 







Panel 


Stile 


Moulding 


with Ceilings. 


1 has Nos. 13, 


9, 


8, 


6-10-12. 


2 


a 


13, 


11, 


8, 


5-6-9-10. 


3 


a 


2, 


9, 


8, 


1-4-6-10. 


4 


a 


11, 


8, 


13. 


3-5-6-7-9-10. 


5 


i( 


3, 


11, 


4, 


3-4-5-7-9-11. 


6 


a 


10, 


4, 


8, 


1-2-11. 


7 


a 


11, 


5, 


4, 


3-4-5-7-11. 


8 


a 


12, 


11, 


4, 


3-5-7-8-9. 


9 


a 


11, 


2, 


13, 


4-5-6-9-11-12. 


10 


u 


3, 


11, 


8, 


4-6-8-9-10-11 


11 


a 


12, 


9, 


8, 


3-4-6-7-9-10. 


12 


n 


9, 


13, 


8, 


1-5-6-10-12. 


13 


u 


10, 


2. 


1, 


1-4-5-6-12. 


14 


a 


11, 


2, 


13, 


1-3-5-7-9-10-12. 


15 


(i 


12, 


11, 


1, 


3-5-7-9-10. 


16 


it' 


7, 


5, 


8, 


1-3-5-6-10. 


17 


a 


7, 


5, 


10, 


4-5-6-7-10-11. 


18 


a 


2, 


1, 


8. 


1-2-4-5-6-10. 


19 


it 


2, 


10, 


1, 


2-4-6-8-9-10-12. 


20 


a 


2, 


8, 


1, 


2-4-6-8-9-10-12. 


21 


a 


9, 


8, 


13, 


4-5-6-10-13. 


22 


a 


15, 


5, 


4, 


1-2-4-8-11. 


23 


it 


3, 


10, 


4, 


2-6-7-8-9-11. 


24 


a 


15, 


11, 


8. 


l-3_4_5-6-10. 


25 


<• 


3, 


5, 


13, 


4-6-7-8-10-12. 


26 


it 


12, 


15, 


9, 


3-4-6-9-10-12. 


27 


a 


2, 


13, 


4, 


2-4-6-10-11-12. 


28 


a 


11, 


13, 


8, 


3-5-7-8-10-12. 



We give here a few combinations having four colors instead of three. 



PRACTICAL HAND-BOOK. 



55 



They are introduced only to suggest, that, whenever a very elaborate or 
ornamental piece of wood-work is to be painted in parti-colors, and more 
than three shades are required to bring out the work properly, it is ad- 
missable to use four colors or more, but, as we have said before^ three 
colors used in an artistic manner will look about as well as people of good 
taste will ask for. The following will harmonize with those ceilings 
having two or more of the colors in them of which the combinations 
are made: 



Combination No. 29, 15-9-13-8. 
" 30, 12-11-13-2. 

31, 7-5-9-8 

32, 3-10-1-2. 
" 33, 12-9-15-2. 

34, 11-7-5-8. 



Combination No. 35, 7-5-11-4. 
" 36, 12-7-14-3. 

" 37, 3-2-10-8. 

" 38, 14-3-11-12. 

" 39, 11-10-3-4, 

" 40, 7-5-13-8. 



Below are some darker and stronger arrangements for use in rooms 
where the furnishings are brilliant and striking, and with which the 
light shades would not harmonize so well. 















Harmonizes 






Panel 


Stile 


Moulding 


with Ceilings, 


Combination No. 41 hi 


is Nos, 


.12. 


7, 


3, * 


3-7-8-10. 


<> 


42 


a 


7, 


3, 


2, 


2-8-9. 


a 


43 


a 


16, 


15, 


13, 


2-6-10-12. 


a 


44 


a 


15, 


r 


2, 


4-6-7-8-9. 


a 


45 


ct 


14, 


15, 


3, 


2-6-8-9. 


a 


46 


a 


14, 


16, 


3, 


2-6-8-9. 


it 


47 


a 


14, 


11. 


5, 


2-6-9-11. 


a 


48 


a 


u, 


3, 


15, 


2-6-8-9-11. 


a 


49 


a 


17, 


7, 


3, 


2-6-8-9-11. 


a 


50 


i* 


3, 


7, 


2, 


2-7-8-9. 


a 


51 


it 


18, 


11, 


15, 


5-6-10-11-12. 


a 


52 


n 


17, 


14, 


16, 


2-9-11. 


a 


53 


a 


21, 


. 15, 


3, 


8-9-65-66. 


tt 


54 


a 


21, 


12, 


7, 


2-8-65-66. 


a 


55 


tt 


23, 


15, 


21, 


8-9-10-65-66. 


tt 


56 


a 


23, 


21, 


16, 


2-9-65-66. 



The colors numbered below are all found in our walls, which are, as 
we have meutioned elsewhere, painted in oil with our. flatting colors — 
the same as we use in the best class of house painting and decorating, 
both for walls and interior wood-work. 

Panel Color, Moulding Color, Stile Color. 

No. 85. No.~83. No. 81. 

" 90. " 89. « 80. 

" 82. " 83. " 80. 

" 84. " 80. « 85. 



56 



ATWOGD & NICHOLS' 



ai 


lei Color. 


Moulding Color. 


Stile Color 


No, 82. 


No, 


80. 


No, 85. 




1 87. 


a 


83. 


" 80. 




' 84. 


a 


83. 


" -'80. 




' 84. 


(i 


83. 


" 87. 




' 90. 


a 


83. 


" 81. 




' 90. 


a 


80. 


" 89. 




« 90. 


a 


87. 


" 82. 




' 82. 


u 


83. 


" 87. 




' 88. 


a 


83. 


" 82. 




1 88. 


u 


83. 


" 84. 




' 87. 


a. 


83. 


" 84. 




' 87. 


a 


83. 


" 89. 




' 89. 


a 


83. 


" 80. 




' 89. 


a 


83. 


" 87. 




' 90. 


it 


83. 


" 87. 




' 88. 


a 


83. 


" 81. 




1 86. 


a 


85. 


" 90. 






^ 



CPAINTO TAKE N0TM;k_ 



A full price list of our decorative stencils and colors, for both oil and 
water color frescoing, will be furnished to purchasers of our Combina- 
tion Designs. We employ only the best materials in making our 
fresco colors, and are careful to select those that are the most permanent 
and strong, so that there will be no fading out or turning dark after the 
work they are used upon is finished. Any information pertaining to 
the use of our system will be cheerfully given. Send stamp for answer 
to the 



Decoratiue Design & Color Company. 



204 "Washington Boulevard, 



CHICAGO, ILL. 






BD- 1.26 



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LIBRARY BINDING 

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